


i used to think one day we'd tell the story of us

by notquitegucci (AllieKitaguchi)



Series: love me like you do [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: (except maybe the author), F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gendry/Theon/Robb/Jon brotp, Love, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Modern, Modern AU, because i have NO self control apparently, bran still ships gendrya, catelyn stark is a cool mom, enjoy the happiness post series finale, everyone is kinda an idiot, everyone loves arya, everyone loves gendry, except arya who is perfect in every way, i don't even like taylor swift, i have no explanation for this, i spent two days writing this shit, it just works okay, jon snow is THAT older brother, lowkey so does theon, ned stark means well, no one loves arya stark as much as gendry, non-magic au, nymeria is tired of waiting for arya and gendry to get their shit together, nymeria knew gendry was her dad the moment she met his dumbass, pure fluff, so is Robb, the author is a crackhead apparently, the author is sorry, the title is from a taylor swift song, theon and robb have a big fat mancrush on gendry, this is 30000 words of people appreciating my children, this is what we all need, this was NOT supposed to be 30000 words but here we are, this was SUPPOSED to be a 5+1 but it's a 9+1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 01:58:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 32,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18907189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllieKitaguchi/pseuds/notquitegucci
Summary: Arya had a penchant for vanishing at odd hours of the day. She was only fourteen, but Catelyn and Ned Stark had long since given up trying to control her. Though Arya was often abrasive and impulsive, she was far smarter than anyone seemed to give her credit for, and she was scrappy enough to know how to take care of herself.That being said, Arya didn’t seem to have many friends. She wasn’t unfriendly, in fact, she could be very polite when she wanted to, but she seemed to thrive on her own. She never brought people to the house, never directly mentioned someone by name, and always seemed to prefer doing things on her own rather than in a group.So, when Arya had mentioned Gendry for the first time, Bran should’ve paid more attention.9 times a Stark encounters Gendry + 1 time he meets the Starks.





	1. How the Starks Met Gendry

**Author's Note:**

> Nine times a member of the Stark house encountered Gendry Waters + the one time he met them all.

1\. BRAN:

      Bran often thought he was the most normal one out of the Stark children.

      Robb was far too egotistical, with his pretty face and boyish charm and uncanny ability to always find trouble. Sansa cared too much about appearances and social stature, especially given her newly found popularity in high school. Rickon was probably the next closest, but he was only nine years old and hadn’t quite developed a personality yet.

      Jon and Theon were a different matter entirely. Theon was their father’s ward, who’d grown up in the Stark household as one of their own since he was a young boy. As far as the rest of them were concerned, he was blood. The same was said for Jon, who was kind and thoughtful, but was technically their cousin.

      And then there was Arya.

      Ever since she’d been little, she’d rejected everything Sansa and their mother had tried to instill upon her. Since the time she could walk, Arya had been known to run off without supervision to wherever she could find the most trouble. To his friends at work, Ned liked to joke that he had six sons instead of five.

      Where Sansa was soft-spoken and generally mild-mannered, polite almost to a fault, Arya was loud and opinionated, never hiding her true feelings from anyone, especially when she was little. As she had gotten older, Arya had quieted more, her heart no longer displayed on her sleeve, but her temper still flared like no other.

      She was the oddball of the family, and always had been. Where Sansa, Robb, and Catelyn all had dark auburn locks, high cheekbones, and cerulean eyes, Arya was a dead ringer for Ned and Lyanna Stark, with her dark chestnut hair, angular face, and piercing grey eyes. Even Rickon and Bran had traces of Tully in them.

      But Arya and Jon had _always_ been the true definition of a Stark.

      Growing up, Arya was quick to reject every stereotype society had tried to place upon her. She played with sticks and frolicked in the mud and climbed the massive trees in their yard. She turned her nose up at pretty dresses and makeup and fancy things, preferring jeans and combat boots and comfortable clothing instead.

      She was resilient and self-reliant and utterly independent by the time she had turned ten. She enjoyed the company of her family but got bored easily and would wander off whenever her interests weren’t being held. No one was ever really sure what she got up to when she left the house, but she always came back, and that was what was important.

      Arya had a penchant for vanishing at odd hours of the day. She was only fourteen, but Catelyn and Ned Stark had long since given up trying to control her. Though Arya was often abrasive and impulsive, she was far smarter than anyone seemed to give her credit for, and she was scrappy enough to know how to take care of herself.

      That being said, Arya didn’t seem to have many friends. She wasn’t unfriendly, in fact, she could be very polite when she wanted to, but she seemed to thrive on her own. She never brought people to the house, never directly mentioned someone by name, and always seemed to prefer doing things on her own rather than in a group.

      So, when Arya had mentioned Gendry for the first time, Bran should’ve paid more attention. He’d been thirteen years old, sitting in the living room of their home, watching a football match on the television and finishing his homework for the evening, when Arya had snuck into the house, tracking dirt across the tile floors.

      The sight of her, covered in grime and mud from head to toe, was all too familiar.

      She’d been muttering under her breath as she moved past him, not even seeming to notice that he was there. At first, he hadn’t caught whatever it was that she had been saying. He’d just looked back down at his homework and continued writing down algorithms, ignoring the clanging he heard from the other room.

      Sansa had been out with friends that night, Jeyne and Margaery, and Robb, Jon, and Theon were all at a school footie game. Rickon, who was still just a child, was already upstairs getting ready for bed with their mother, their father cooped up in his office working on reports for Mr. Baratheon.

      Arya had disappeared for the afternoon as she usually did.

      She and their parents had come to an unspoken agreement—Arya was allowed to leave, and do as she pleased, only if she had completed her homework for the evening and was home before the sun went down. Arya took full advantage of their consent, often having her homework already done before she came home from school.

      No one ever asked where she went. They had tried a few times before, with Arya only responding with vague answers. Bran still remembered the day Jon, Robb, and Theon had tried to follow her, only to end up with her marching them all back home, shouting at them as they scowled at the floor, abashed.

      They hadn’t tried since.

      So, when Arya had whirled past him, a tornado of dark hair and annoyance, he’d only glanced up to observe her as she trudged into the kitchen, leaving muddy boot prints on the floor he knew his mother had just cleaned. Bran had looked down at Summer, his tawny Newfoundland, who was seated on the couch next to him, and shrugged.

      Arya, usually quite quiet, seemed to be making as much noise as possible in the kitchen as she aggressively opened cabinets and tossed things into the sink. Bran did his best to ignore her, and was partially successful, until she came into the living room and flopped down into the loveseat next to him, her face contorted into a mask of irritation.

      “Hello,” Bran said, blinking at her as she huffed, arms crossed over her chest. Now that she was still, he could see how truly filthy she was. She looked like she’d submerged herself in mud. “How are you?”

      “I’m pissed off.” Arya snapped. Nails clattered along the floor and Arya’s Newfoundland, Nymeria, trotted into the living room, dutifully sitting next to her master. Arya put a muddy hand into her dog’s fur, not seeming to mind that Nymeria’s fur was now streaked with brown.

      Bran paused, and then hesitantly asked, “Would you like to talk about it?”

      “Why do boys have to be so stupid?” Arya exclaimed, the question bursting out of her like it physically pained her to keep it in.

      “I’ll try not to take offense at that.” Bran said dryly. He sighed and closed his textbook, placing it on the seat beside him. “What did Robb do this time?”

      “What?” Arya looked flummoxed. She shook her head after a beat. “No, not Robb. This time, anyway.”

      “Jon?” Bran frowned. Out of everyone in their weird little family, Jon and Arya got along just as much as Jon and Robb did, despite their age gap. It was a well-known fact that Jon Snow was Arya’s favorite brother, despite not even being her actual brother.

      “No, none of the boys.” She shook her head again. “A different boy. A stupid, arrogant, sexist motherfu—”

      “Bran?” Their mother’s voice floated down the stairs. “Did Arya just come home?”

      Arya took a deep breath and raised her voice. “Yes, mother. I’m home.”

      “Just checking!” Their mother yelled back, her footsteps receding from the staircase.

      Arya sighed and leaned back against the couch. Bran stared at her, patiently waiting. Arya rubbed at her forehead, huffing. “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t do the things boys can do.”

      Bran cocked his head. “Yes…” He said slowly. “I don’t think anyone in this house would debate that.”

      The ghost of a smile flitted to Arya’s lips and warmth spread in Bran’s chest at having been the one to put it there. Usually, Arya’s smiles were reserved solely for Jon or their father. However, Arya’s smile vanished after a brief pause, replaced by a scowl. “Exactly. Which is why it’s so bloody frustrating to be told I can’t do something just because I’m a girl.”

      Bran snorted. “I pity the fool who tries to tell you what to do.”

      Arya grinned at him and pride swelled in his chest all over again. He might not be incredibly close with Arya, but they’d always had a good relationship. “I was down in the fields and there was a footie scrimmage going on. I asked if I could join and the guys playing told me no, even though they were playing uneven teams.”

      Bran raised an eyebrow and gestured to her. “I’m going to guess by your appearance that you didn’t take no for an answer?”

      Arya bared her teeth in an attempt at a smile. “Hell no. I bitched them out a bit first, for being sexist.”

      “As you should.”

      “But one of the boys there told them to let me join, since they were losing anyway. Gendry, I think his name was.” Her mouth twisted as she tried to remember. “I don’t know, something weird like that. Anyway, they finally let me play.”

      “And?”

      Arya smirked. “I wiped the floor with them.”

      “I would expect nothing less from you.” Bran told her, his tone honest. If there was one thing he knew about his sister, it was that she was competitive to a fault and hated losing.

      “I got tackled a couple of times, scored a handful of goals, won the game for my team.” Arya shrugged nonchalantly, unbothered when dried bits of mud fell off of her clothing and onto the floor. “Showed them all how a _girl_ plays.”

      “Did they take it well?” Bran was genuinely curious. In the past, men—especially men older and bigger than Arya—didn’t take well to her making a fool out of them.

      “Some of them, yeah.” She was smiling again, her eyes distant as she reminisced. “The boy who convinced them to let me play, he seemed quite nice. Told me I was always welcome on his team if I was gonna play like that.”

      “Do you think you’ll go back?”

      “Maybe.” Arya shrugged. “If I’m bored.”

      “A bored Arya Stark is a very dangerous thing.”

      “Indeed.” She grinned.

      “What about the other guys?”

      “You know me, Bran,” She leaned back, lazily smirking at him. “I always love to embarrass boys.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

2\. RICKON

      Rickon was nine years old when he first met Gendry.

      At the time, he’d been too young to understand what was happening, too uninterested in his sister’s activities to comprehend that this was possibly the first time Arya had even brought people to the house. If he’d been older, like Robb, or even Bran, he might’ve stopped to question her about her new friend, but he didn’t.

      Rickon had been sitting on the deck, watching the six Newfoundlands run around the yard, when three figures appeared at the tree line. He was ten and didn’t pay them too much attention, too focused on the video game he held in between his fingers. He was pushing buttons with an aggressiveness that his mother would’ve sighed at.

      It was the middle of the afternoon. Classes were out for the day already and the rest of the family was spread out around their town. Rickon had heard his mother say something about taking Sansa to her dancing lessons and he knew his father was still at work. Jon, Robb, and Theon were all at practice, and Bran was in his room.

      His mother didn’t like to leave him alone, not without one of the older boys being home, but she trusted Bran enough to look out for him, even though Bran was only fourteen. He knew she’d be home within the next twenty minutes and didn’t intend on causing too much trouble, preferring to complete the next level of his game instead.

      It was only when the dogs started barking that he actually looked up.

      Arya was laughing as she emerged from the trees, almost getting swallowed up by the dogs as they jumped on her. Behind her, two young men stood in the shadows of the woods, nervously watching the large dogs smother her with affection. Out of the everyone in the family, the dogs had always liked Arya and Jon the best.

      She gave them all rubs and pats and Rickon could hear her cooing at them softly from where he sat on the back porch. Arya was never an affectionate person, not like their mother or Sansa, who would hug him and kiss him whenever they wanted to. However, she never had an issue showing affection for the dogs.

      Arya turned and said something to the two boys behind her, who moved slowly out of the tree line, still eyeing the dogs as if they were a threat. One of the boys, a short, portly one, yelped when Nymeria stood up on her hind legs and put her paws on his shoulders. Arya and the other boy only laughed.

      The taller boy quickly quieted, however, when Nymeria trotted over to him and stared up at him, unmoving. Rickon could see the boy’s lips moving, knew he was saying something to Arya, who rolled her eyes and nudged him into moving. He held his hand out carefully and Nymeria sniffed it twice before licking his fingers.

      A smile broke out across his face.

      Now that the dogs were satisfied at having met the newcomers, they dispersed and went back to running around the yard, barking and yipping at each other as they did so. Arya began trekking up towards the house, the two boys behind her following her diligently. Rickon was intrigued now, as Arya never brought people over.

      “Mum home?” Arya asked as she approached. She was dirty again, the same kind of dirty that Jon, Robb, and Theon would no doubt be when they came home from footie practice. Sweat was beading at her hairline and her dark locks were pulled back into a messy bun, strands of hair clinging to her red face.

      Her knees were darkened with mud and she had grass stains all over her shirt. The two boys behind her didn’t look much better, though the taller boy was significantly dirtier than the short one. Rickon cocked his head and stood up, trailing behind his sister and falling in line with the other two boys, who he eyed suspiciously. “No.”

      “Where is she?” Arya hummed, pushing the back door open. She whistled loudly over her shoulder and the dogs came barreling up the yard, trotting into the house in a single-file line. Arya’s friends watched the dogs stampede by them, eyes wide. Only Nymeria stayed in the kitchen, sitting in between Arya and the taller boy.

      “She took Sansa to practice.” Rickon told her, climbing onto one of the barstools in the kitchen so he could better observe Arya’s friends. The shorter, fat one had a round face and was sweating profusely. He looked at ease inside the Stark house, glancing around at the well decorated kitchen.

      The taller boy, who had a shock of dark black hair and piercing blue eyes, eyes like their mother and Sansa, looked slightly uncomfortable. Rickon stared at him, as the man, who had to be Jon and Robb’s age, awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck, his eyes fixed on the countertops.

      He glanced down suddenly, pale eyes wide, and Rickon could see Nymeria leaning heavily against his legs. He reached down carefully, petting the top of her head with surprisingly gentle fingers. Nymeria leaned further into him and he stumbled slightly under her weight, but there was a smile on his face.

      Rickon glanced at Arya, who was eyeing her friend and her dog with an unreadable gaze. She turned back towards the cabinets after a beat and spoke over her shoulder to Rickon. “When will she be back?” Arya asked offhandedly, pulling glasses down from the cabinets. She stared filling them up with water from the fridge, passing the glasses to her two friends.

      “Like fifteen minutes.” Rickon shrugged, still eyeing Arya’s friends. The fat one instantly started gulping the water down, not even pausing to breathe.

      “We’ll be gone by then.” Arya nodded, as if that mattered.

      “Where are you going?” Rickon asked, frowning.

      “We have a game to finish.” She grinned at the two boys next to her, who groaned.

      “Arry, no.” The fat one shook his head, his curly hair flopping around his face. He was younger than the tall one, but probably Arya’s age, if not a year or so older. “It’s too hot to beat us up today.”

      “Oh, come on,” Arya whined. “It’s not that bad.”

      “Yes, it is.” The taller one raised a dark brow at her. His voice was smooth and deep, but not as gravely as Jon’s was.

      Arya glared at him. “You’re no fun.”

      “I’m plenty of fun, milady, but I’m also _sensible_.”

      Arya whacked him on the arm. To his credit, the boy didn’t even flinch. “I told you not to call me that.”

      “You live in a bloody mansion, _milady_.” He shot back, blue eyes narrowing. The corners up his lips tilted up in a playful leer as he stared her down.

      Arya glared at him. “Just for that, I’ll make sure to kick you extra hard later when I beat you. Again.”

      “Seven hells.” The boy groaned, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. Arya smirked triumphantly, taking another sip of her water.

      “You’re going to beat them up?” Rickon asked, confused. It wouldn’t be entirely out of character for Arya to bully a couple of boys, but he couldn’t see why she’d give them water now if she planned on making them suffer later.

      His question seemed to startle a laugh out of Arya, who shook her head. “No, Rickon, not really. We’re just playing footie. These two suck.”

      “You should ask Theon and them to play!” Rickon told her.

      Arya sighed and shook her head. “The boys are busy at practice,” She reminded him. “Besides, I’m already so much better than them.”

      “Why does that matter?” He didn’t argue with her. In truth, Arya was a deadly athlete, even though she was a few years younger than their brothers. Rickon frowned, pointing to Arya’s friends. “I thought you said they sucked, too.”

      Arya grinned. “They do.”

      “Your sister is the devil.” The fat one grumbled.

      “That’s what Sansa says, too.” Rickon nodded his head gravely.

      The tall one laughed loudly at that, grinning when the smile evaporated off of Arya’s face and she scowled. Arya crossed her arms over her chest and huffed loudly. “Well, Sansa’s not all rainbows and sunshine either.”

      The dark-haired boy turned to him, still laughing. “Say, Rickon, do you have any funny stories about Arya?”

      “Gendry, don’t you dare!” Arya hissed, smacking him again.

      “Funny stories?” Rickon asked slowly, looking between his sister and the older boy.

      “Embarrassing stories,” The boy, Gendry, corrected. Rickon liked how Gendry didn’t talk to him like he was a child. “Your sister spends all her time beating me and Hot-Pie up and making us look like idiots, so I think it's only fair that we get to embarrass her as well.”

      “I don’t make you look like idiots. You’re both _already_ idiots.” Arya grumbled before she whirled on Rickon, wagging a finger in his face. “And don’t you say a thing.”

      Rickon was quiet for a moment before he blurted out, “What about the time mum made Arya wear a skirt to school and she ripped it off halfway through the day and walked around in her underwear before they brought her something else to wear?”

      Arya made a protesting noise as the two boys howled with laughter. Arya glared at Rickon. “I was in the second grade and you weren’t even cognizant yet!”

      “Cognizant?” Rickon frowned at the word, stumbling over the unfamiliar sound.

      “Oh, never mind!” Arya huffed and picked up all of the discarded glasses, tossing them in the sink. She grabbed the two still-laughing boys by the shirt sleeves and dragged them back outside and into the trees again, disappearing from sight. Rickon could hear them laughing the whole way down the yard.

      Rickon closed the door after her, shrugging and picking up his controller as he wandered into the living room. Rickon had always thought Arya was a bit strange. He went back to his game, the conversation between his sister and her two friends forgotten by the time dinner rolled around later that night.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

3\. ROBB

      The worst thing about being the eldest was also the best—he got the car first.

      It had been on his eighteenth birthday that his parents had dragged him into the garage and gifted him with his first car. He’d been ecstatic and over the moon, despite the car being previously used and a little worn down. As long as the thing still worked, he didn’t care about anything else.

      But with the car came all the errands. It wasn’t unusual for his mother or Sansa to send him out at all hours of the day, asking him to pick up everything from tampons to milk to movies on his way home from school and practice. He was becoming accustomed to being the personal manservant to everyone in the house.

      It had started simple enough, with their mother simply asking him to take the girls to school in the morning. He, Jon, and Theon were all eighteen, or about to turn eighteen in Jon’s case, Sansa was turning seventeen in a few weeks, and Arya had just turned sixteen a month ago, meaning they were all in the same school.

      The six of them crammed into Robb’s little car, laughing and joking their whole way to Winterfell High School. Robb genuinely enjoyed taking everyone to school in the mornings, mainly because he liked to see Sansa and Theon bicker over who got to sit in the front, only to see them pout when Arya beat them both to it.

      But everything else was slowly becoming a hassle.

      Robb, Jon, and Theon got out of practice at seven at night and Sansa’s practices usually ended around the same time on Monday’s and Wednesday’s, so he was expected to pick her up from practice. If he was running late however, he’d get angry calls and text messages from both Sansa _and_ his mother, who would berate him for leaving her unattended.

      He was getting tired of grocery runs, too. His phone buzzed several times a day from different members of the household and usually just contained what they needed from the store that day. None of them ever bothered to greet him or ask him how his day was—they just texted him to pick them up bread and eggs on his way home.

      He couldn’t remember the last time his mother or father had picked up groceries, as his car always seemed to be filled with them. Last month alone, he went to the store six different times to get Theon condoms. Even Jon had sent him out a few times, asking him to pick up liquor and booze.

      Arya was the only one who didn’t use him for his car, and for that, he couldn’t have loved his sister more. She was the quietest on the rides to school, always claiming shotgun and sitting next to him as he drove, her feet propped up on the dashboard no matter how many times he swatted at her to put them down.

      She didn’t send him ridiculous requests from the store, nor did she send him grocery lists every day. In fact, Arya hardly texted him at all. If she did, it was almost always an emergency, so he had no issues running to the store on his way home from school to pick up more tampons for her if she needed them.

      She was slowly becoming his favorite.

      So, Robb had only sighed when his practice ended for the day and he glanced down at his phone to see a message from Sansa. _Can you pick me up a coffee from Starbucks? I’m gonna be studying late tonight._ Robb grumbled as he shot her back a text message with his affirmation, sighing as he pulled out of the school lot.

      Ten minutes later, he was parking in the tiny parking lot, eyeing the drive thru with disdain as the cars piled up and circled the building. He headed inside and placed Sansa’s order at the counter, the words flowing from his lips with familiarity and the cashier grinning when she recognized him.

      He had to learn to start saying no.

      There were a few other people in the shop with him, all waiting for their drinks. He stood towards the back and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his messages when he heard the bell chime over the door. Robb glanced up and watched the newcomer enter the store slowly, like he wasn’t sure what to do.

      He was a young guy, probably Robb’s age, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. He was broad shouldered and lean—athletic looking. Robb paused to look at him more closely, wondering if perhaps they might go to school together. The guy grumbled and pulled his phone out of his pocket, sticking his headphones in as he answered his incoming FaceTime call.

      “Hello?” The guy’s voice didn’t sound familiar. _Must not know him, then._ Robb glanced back down at his phone, no longer interested. “Arya, what the hell? I don’t know what any of this stuff is.”

      Robb glanced back up. The guy was staring up at the menu, frowning. Robb tried to take a peek at the guy’s screen to see who he was talking to. Arya wasn’t exactly a common name. As Robb was debating moving closer to him, the cashier stepped up and asked, “What can I get for you?”

      “Just a second.” The guy responded, somewhat awkwardly. He glanced down at his screen, which was still obscured from Robb’s view. “Okay, now what was it you wanted? A venti black tea? Is that it?” He said the words slowly, confused.

      “A venti black tea?” The cashier repeated, smiling a little. She looked charmed. The guy nodded. “Hot or iced?”

      “Did you hear that?” He glanced down at his phone again. He looked back up not even a second later. “She said iced, please.”

      “Alright,” The cashier was still laughing a little. “Can I have a name for the order?”

      “Gendry.” The guy answered. His eyes flitted down to his phone and he grinned at whoever he was talking to. “You’re not the one paying for it, are you? Mhm, I didn’t think so.” The girl on the call must’ve grumbled back at him, because he tossed his head back and laughed openly at her.

      “Your order will be ready in a few moments.” The cashier told him, gesturing to where Robb and the others were standing.

      “Thanks.” He nodded politely and stepped away from the counter. He peered back down at his phone. “Should be about ten minutes until I get there, think you can wait that long?” He paused, listening. Robb was still trying to peek at his screen. “Yes, _milady_ , I know. Gods, you’re impatient. You’re lucky I like you. I’ll see you soon.”

      The guy, Gendry, hung up the phone and glanced up, meeting Robb’s eyes. Robb grinned sheepishly at having been caught staring. He gestured to the phone. “Girlfriend?”

      The guy snorted and rubbed the back of his neck. “Pain in my ass, more like it.”

      “I know that feeling.” Robb laughed with him. “I got a car and suddenly my whole family has me running errands for them.”

      Gendry nodded. “I get that. As soon as she found out I had a car, she was having me do everything for her.” He didn’t name the girl again and Robb desperately wanted to ask, but he refrained. It’s not like it was _his_ Arya anyway. “I’m at her bloody beck and call.”

      “You’re preaching to the choir, mate.” Robb chuckled.

      Gendry was quiet for a moment, pondering, before he suddenly asked, “This might seem a bit weird, but do I know you from somewhere?”

      Robb sagged, relieved. “Oh gods, I was trying to figure out if I knew _you_ from somewhere, too.”

      Gendry laughed, relaxing. “You just look familiar to me.”

      “What school do you go to?”

      “I’m about to graduate from King’s Landing,” Gendry said. “I’m a senior.”

      “Damn,” Robb frowned. “I go to Winterfell. Looks like we’re rivals.”

      “Eh,” Gendry flapped a hand, nonplussed. “I don’t care much for the people at my school. Winterfell has much better sports teams.”

      “That we do,” Robb puffed his chest out slightly, proud. “Do you play? You’re built like a brick house, mate.”

      Gendry laughed, blushing a little. He rubbed at the back of his neck again, suddenly shy. “Yeah, I’m on the rowing team and I run track and field.”

      “Well the rowing certainly explains the shoulders.” Robb teased. “My family and I play for the footie team.”

      “You guys are good,” Gendry praised, eyebrows raising. “I’ve seen a few of your games.”

      “Yeah?”

      Gendry nodded. “A few of my friends and I try to hit a couple of matches every season. Especially the ones against the Lions. We love seeing Joffrey Lannister lose, the little shit.”

      Robb barked out a laugh and clapped Gendry on the back. “I like you, mate.”

      Gendry grinned. “You’re alright yourself—er…”

      “Robb,” He told him, shaking his head. “Sorry. My mother would have my head if she saw me forgetting my manners.”

      “Gendry,” The slightly shorter man held his hand out to shake. The two shook hands, grinning.

      “Order for Robb!” One of the barista’s called. Disappointment flared in Robb’s chest as he sighed and picked up Sansa’s drink, stepping away from his new friend.

      “That’s my cue.” He lifted the drink. “Gotta take this back to my sister before she panics and dies or something.”

      “I know the feeling.” Gendry laughed and lifted his phone. “This one’ll gut me if I’m late.”

      “Women.” Robb sighed.

      “Amen.”

      “If you see me around Gendry, don’t be a stranger.” Robb ordered, shaking a finger at him. “Anyone who hates Joffrey Lannister is a friend of mine.”

      “Same goes to you, Robb.” Gendry laughed. “Maybe I’ll see you at one of your footie games next season.”

      “You better!” Robb called, pushing the door to the shop open.

      Robb headed for his car, grinning the whole way.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

4\. THEON

      Late night runs had never been his thing, but Robb was sick, and Jon was out with his girlfriend, Ygritte, so he had taken the car. Robb wasn’t able to put up much of a fight, coughing and hacking up a lung as he glared at Theon while he took Robb’s car keys off his nightstand and left the house, laughing.

      The local drugstore was only a few minutes away from the Stark home, so Theon changed the station on Robb’s radio and adjusted all of the seats and mirrors just to be an asshole. He pulled up to the store at 12:37 in the morning, rolling in through the doors in baggy sweats and his Winterfell hoodie.

      The parking lot had been nearly empty, save for a beautiful classic car with a matte black paint job and a few more run-down ones near the back of the lot. Theon’s phone started to ring in his pocket, so he pulled it out and answered it without looking. “Hello?”

      “Please tell me you’re at the store.” Robb croaked.

      Theon sighed. “Yes, I am.”

      “Can you get me cough medicine?” Robb’s voice sounded pitiful.

      Theon made a bee-line for the pharmacy section, his eyes skimming over the products on the shelf. “What do you want?”

      “I don’t c—” Robb cut off as he started coughing again. Theon patiently waited for him to regain his breathe. “I don’t care,” Robb choked out. “As long as it makes this fucking cough go away.”

      “Alright, I’ll find something.” Theon promised.

      “Thanks, mate.” Robb hung up the phone and Theon sighed again, staring at the row of boxes. He glanced down the rest of the aisle, surprised to find himself no longer alone. During his phone call with Robb, someone else had appeared in the aisle across from him, glaring at feminine hygiene products like they’d personally offended him.

      _Poor man_ , Theon thought. He turned back to shelf in front of him and pondered for a few moments. Did Robb need something to help him sleep? Or did he need something to help with just the cough? And if he needed something to help with the cough, did that mean he needed something for a sore throat, too?

      After a few minutes, Theon groaned and abruptly turned to the other guy in the aisle next to him, who hadn’t moved. “Mate, I’m sorry to bother you.” The guy looked up, startled. He was a handsome guy, probably about his and Robb’s age, with jet black hair and wide blue eyes. “I have no fucking idea what to buy.”

      The guy huffed out a laugh and waved at the wall of products in front of him. “I know how that fucking feels.”

      “Does any of this stuff really do different things?” Theon asked, gesturing to the array of pill bottles and boxes.

      The guy wandered over, his lower lip trapped between his teeth. “What exactly are you looking for?”

      “I don’t know,” Theon groaned. “My mate’s sick and needs medicine but he didn’t ask for anything in particular.”

      “What kind of sick?” The guy asked, cocking his head.

      “What do you mean?” Theon frowned.

      The guy shifted. “Well, is he throwing up?”

      “Gods, I hope not.”

      A smile flashed across his face. “Okay, well then you won’t need anything for nausea or stomach relief.” He waved his hand at the boxes to the left of them. “So that eliminates all of those.”

      Theon perked up. “He’s got a really bad cough. I thought he was gonna hack up a lung earlier.”

      “Just the cough?” The guy asked, blue eyes darting over the boxes on the shelf.

      Theon thought back for a moment. “He sounds congested too. His room’s covered in tissues and he was running a fever earlier.”

      The guy paused. “Has he been in bed all day?”

      “Oh yeah,” Theon nodded enthusiastically. “He’s been sleeping a lot. Well, he sleeps when he can. He wakes himself up coughing.”

      The guy plucked a box off the shelf and held it out to Theon, grinning triumphantly. “Sounds like he’s got a common cold. Give him two of these every four or five hours, and he should be okay in a few days. These should calm down his fever and his cough.”

      “Mate, you’re a life saver!” Theon tugged the guy into a hug. The guy awkwardly patted him on the back and stepped back, flushing. “My name’s Theon, by the way.”

      “Gendry.” The guy laughed, shaking Theon’s hand.

      “Now what were _you_ looking at?” Theon raised an eyebrow and peered at the aisle behind them.

      Gendry’s face darkened. “Oh gods, don’t even get me started.”

      “Don’t worry, me and my mates have been on many emergency tampon runs.” Theon laughed, clapping him on the shoulders.

      “Girlfriends?” Gendry asked, curious.

      Theon scoffed and headed for the other aisle. “Sisters.”

      “Ah,” Gendry nodded in understanding, following Theon. “That makes sense.”

      “Though my mate, Jon, just started dating a new girl and she’s sent him out a time or two to pick up stuff.” Theon paused, staring up at the wall. “Who are you getting these for? Sister?”

      Gendry shook his head. “Best friend.”

      “More power to you, mate.” Theon nudged his shoulder.

      “Thanks.” Gendry chuckled.

      “Do you know what type she likes?” Theon asked, gesturing to the wall.

      Gendry shook his head, glumly. “This is the first time she’s sending me out. She usually sends her older brother, but he’s sick, so she called me instead.”

      “My mate’s sisters always send him out, too.” Theon laughed. “Gotta love being a big brother.”

      “I don’t envy him at all.” Gendry quirked an eyebrow, sighing at the shelf.

      Theon reached forward and grabbed a colorful box out of the bunch, holding it out to Gendry. “Well, I know my mate’s sisters like these. They’re plastic, not cardboard, so they’re more comfortable, apparently.”

      “ _Thank you_ ,” Gendry rushed out, clutching the box to his chest. “You might’ve just saved my life.”

      “It’s the least I could do, especially since you helped me out.” Theon waved the box of medicine. “You should probably grab some of these, too,” He grabbed a package of pads off the shelf and tossed them to Gendry, who caught them easily. “Girls are always running out of those.”

      “I can’t thank you enough.” Gendry said sincerely.

      Theon wrapped an arm around Gendry’s broad shoulders, steering him out of the aisle. “I’m not even done yet, mate.” Gendry stared at him, wide eyed, as he was led to the candy aisle. “Now, when my mate’s sisters are having their time, they hoard sweets like you wouldn’t believe.”

      “Oh, I’d believe it.” Gendry rolled his eyes. “When my girl is on her period, she eats everything in sight and then yells at _me_ when _she’s_ eaten all of _my_ food and I’ve got nothing left.”

      Theon tossed his head back, laughing. “That sounds like Jon’s girl, too.”

      “Girls are crazy.” Gendry shook his head.

      Theon nodded still grinning. “So, your girl doesn’t mind you doing tampon runs for other girls?”

      Gendry frowned. “What do you mean?”

      Theon paused. “Well you said you were getting stuff for your best friend, but then you just said _your_ girl eats everything in sight.”

      “Oh,” Gendry went bright red. “I—that was a slip of the tongue.”

      Theon’s mouth curved into a lazy smirk as he twisted to face Gendry, understanding dawning on him. “Oh, I see how it is.”

      “What?” Gendry asked defensively, his shoulders hunching up.

      “She’s not your girl, but you want her to be.” Theon was beaming at him now.

      Gendry rubbed at the back of his neck, his face still flaming. “I mean—it’s not like that. She’s my best friend.”

      “But she’s _your_ girl?”

      “I—I mean… well…” Gendry trailed off and cleared his throat, looking away. “What do you suggest I get?” He deflected, staring at the assortment of chocolates and sweets and avoiding Theon’s eyes.

      “Easy, mate,” Theon clapped him on the back, laughing. “I’m just teasing.”

      Gendry narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re a bit of an asshole, you know?”

      Theon guffawed. “That’s what my friends tell me,” He told Gendry, choking out the words through his laughter. “I pride myself in it.”

      Gendry shook his head, huffing out a laugh. “Well, my _best friend_ seems to like these a lot.” Gendry stressed the words as he plucked a bag of Reese’s Pieces off of the self. “Or, at least she always eats mine when she’s over at my place.”

      “You can never go wrong with chocolate,” Theon conceded. “My mate’s little sister once crushed a family size bag of those in one sitting.”

      “They’re good, I can understand that.” Gendry chuckled, tapping his fingers along the bag. Something buzzed in their vicinity and Gendry tucked his items under his arm as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and sighed. He looked at Theon with a half-shrug. “The queen awaits.”

      “I’m surprised my mate hasn’t called me yet,” Theon nodded his head. “Princess that he is.”

      “I guess we best be heading out then.” Gendry said.

      Gendry and Theon headed up towards the counter, Theon letting Gendry pay first. Gendry waited for him to pay for his items and Theon was slightly touched by the thoughtful gesture. The two walked outside the store together in a companionable silence, until Theon saw where Gendry was heading.

      “Don’t tell me that beauty is yours.” Theon rushed up to his side, practically drooling.

      Gendry smiled, pleased. “Yeah, she’s mine.”

      “What’s her name?” Theon asked, running his fingers along the base of the car.

      “Nymeria.” Gendry laughed. “My friend named her.”

      “Good name,” Theon smiled. Arya would’ve been very pleased if she’d been there. “She’s a gorgeous car.”

      “Thanks, I fixed her up myself.”

      “No kidding?” Theon raised a brow.

      “I grew up with a lot of mechanics.” Gendry shifted a little awkwardly. “They taught me everything I know.”

      Theon had a feeling the topic was a sensitive one, so he backed off, still smiling. “Well, she looks amazing. You did a great job.”

      “Thanks.” Gendry’s voice was soft, humble.

      “Well, I’ll let you get back to your _best friend_ ,” Theon teased. “I’ve gotta pick up something else for my other mate and then I’m headed home to sleep.”

      “Good luck,” Gendry called to Theon as he started backing up towards his car. “I hope your friend gets better.”

      “Thank you!” Theon called, jogging back to his car. Gendry lifted his hand in a friendly wave and climbed into his car, shutting the door with a gentle thud. Theon watched him peel out of the parking lot, cursing himself a beat later for not getting the guy’s number so he could introduce him to Jon and Robb.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

5\. JON

      American football wasn’t really Jon’s thing, but he still let Theon and Robb drag him to a game anyway. They’d graduated last spring, but still found themselves attending games to support Sansa, who had just been named the captain of her cheerleading team in her final year at Winterfell High.

      He loved his cousin dearly, but American football was bloody boring.

      There was too much stoppage for him, too many whistles and flags, and far too many people to pay attention to at one time. Plus, the team was massive. Jon still remembered waking up to hundreds of text messages from the footie group-chat, he could only imagine what theirs must look like.

      “Sansa’s the one right there.” Robb said unnecessarily, pointing in Jon’s face.

      “Yeah, mate, thanks, the red hair didn’t give it away or anything.” Jon said, quirking an eyebrow at his cousin.

      Robb scowled but sat down. Theon laughed from next to them, jostling Robb, who was seated in between them. The game started with the screech of a whistle and the stadium came alive, parents cheering and booing and screaming, popcorn flying everywhere and the bleachers trembling beneath them.

      Jon sighed.

      It was halfway through the first quarter that Theon suddenly sat up straighter, his eyes narrowed at the ground below them. After a beat, he climbed to his feet and cupped his hands around his mouth, bellowing, “Gendry!”

      Robb’s head snapped up.

      Jon glanced up, confused, just in time to see a young man stutter to a stop, his head whipping from side to side as he looked around. Robb gave a disbelieving laugh and clamored to his feet next to Theon, mimicking his movements and shouting, “Oi! Gendry! Up here!”

      The guy, Gendry, lifted his head in their direction, eyes searching. When they landed on Theon and Robb waving frantically at him, he snorted incredulously and grinned, stalking up the bleachers to see them. As he got closer, Jon noted that he was about their age, with dark hair and icy blue eyes.

      “Well I’ll be damned!” Robb said, clapping him on the shoulder as he approached.

      “Robb, right?” Gendry asked, laughing.

      “Yeah, that’s me!” Robb grinned cheerily.

      “Theon?” Gendry nodded to Theon, who winked at him.

      “Don’t pretend like you forgot me that easy.” Theon reached out and tugged the guy into a fierce hug.

      “Wait a second, how do you two know each other?” Robb pouted, jealousy seeping into his tone.

      “This guy saved your life a few months ago!” Theon laughed, clapping Gendry on the shoulder and he pulled him to sit in between himself and Robb.

      Gendry whirled on Theon, openly grinning. “You’re kidding. That was him?”

      “Wait what?” Robb asked, looking between Gendry and Theon, confused.

      “Remember when you had that really bad cough? I went to the store and had no fucking idea what to get you, and this one here,” He nudged Gendry’s shoulder. “Helped me out.”

      “Gods, what a small world.” Gendry laughed.

      “I owe you my life, good sir.” Robb said dramatically.

      “How do you know him?” Theon asked, leaning around Gendry to stare at Robb.

      “We met at the Starbucks near Winterfell.” Gendry told him, laughing a little. “He witnessed me attempting to order a drink for the first time.”

      “Oh, I would’ve paid money to see that.” Theon laughed. He turned to Robb, gesturing wildly. “You should’ve seen this one trying to pick out tampons.”

      Gendry groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Don’t remind me.”

      “We’ve all been there, mate.” Jon said good-naturedly. He cleared his throat and held out a hand when Gendry met his eyes. “My friends are assholes. I’m Jon, by the way.”

      “Gendry.” He introduced unnecessarily.

      “I gathered.” Jon grinned.

      “Seven hells, you’re an asshole too!” Gendry threw his hands up in the air as the three of them burst into laughter. After a beat, Gendry was laughing too.

      “What’re you doing here?” Robb asked him once they’d all calmed down. “Didn’t you tell me that you played for King’s Landing?”

      “Boo.” Theon groaned.

      “Nah, he’s cool,” Robb promised. “He told me all about how much he hated Joffrey Lannister.”

      On cue, the four of them all huffed in disgust. Gendry shook his head, scowling. “You think you all hate him—I went to school with the prick.”

      “He tried to date my sister.” Robb said darkly.

      “I hope she kicked him to the curb.”

      “She did, but only after we talked some sense into her.” Robb huffed. “I will never understand why girls fawn all over him.”

      “The same reason they fawn over you.” Theon raised an eyebrow at him.

      “I’m nothing like him!” Robb scoffed, offended.

      “No, but you are handsome and rich.” Jon told him, nudging his shoulder.

      “At least you’re not a prick?” Gendry offered, taking a swig of the beer he had in his hands.

      “Oh no, he’s a prick, too.” Theon snorted. “Just not a bad one.”

      “To answer your question though, my mate Podrick plays for King’s Landing.” Gendry nodded out to the field.

      “Did you ever make it to one of our matches?” Robb asked, shifting to face Gendry curiously.

      To Jon’s surprise, Gendry nodded, looking a little shy. “I did. I was gonna stop by a say hi after the game, but I didn’t want to be weird.”

      “It wouldn’t have been weird!” Robb protested. “We could’ve been friends years ago.”

      “Think of all the tampon runs we could’ve gone on!” Theon wrapped an arm around Gendry’s shoulder, shaking him.

      Gendry threw him off, huffing. “You’re still an ass.”

      “Don’t you forget it.” Theon winked, then held out his hand, wagging his fingers. “Give me your phone.”

      “Why?” Gendry asked slowly, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Despite his hesitance, he placed it in Theon’s outstretched hand.

      “Because the last time we met, I kicked myself for not getting your number, so we could grab a pint.” Theon told him, punching in his number. When he was done, he held the phone out to Gendry, but Robb reached around and grabbed it before Gendry could lift his hand.

      “I told you two years ago,” Robb told him as he typed in his information. “Any person who hates Joffrey Lannister is a friend of mine.”

      Gendry looked touched when he took his phone back from them, smiling a small smile. Jon decided he liked him and leaned around Robb. “If you need my number too, one of these losers can give it to you.”

      Gendry laughed, a little shy. “I’m sure we’ll all meet again.”

      “You busy next Friday?” Theon asked, scrolling through his calendar.

      Gendry paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he thought. “I don’t think so.”

      “Great. We’ll see you and that gorgeous car of yours at The Wall around eight. Sound good?”

      Gendry laughed. “You Northerners and your strange bars.”

      “You’ve been?” Jon asked.

      “My girlfriend’s taken me a time or two.” Gendry said, flushing at the mention of a girlfriend.

      “Hold up,” Theon whipped around, a slow grin creeping across his face. “Girlfriend? Is that the best friend or someone new?”

      “Uh,” Gendry coughed, rubbing at the back of his neck, face red. “No, it’s her.”

      “Well done!” Theon crowed. “When did you get together?” Gendry averted his gaze and mumbled something that none of them caught. They all leaned closer. Theon nudged his shoulder. “What?”

      “The night you and I met,” He mumbled, slightly louder. “She was very… um… appreciative.”

      “Good man!” Robb beamed, slapping Gendry on the back.

      “So, you’ve been together, what, seven months now?” Theon asked, thinking back.

      “Almost eight,” Gendry nodded. “Good memory.”

      “How’s it going?” Jon asked politely.

      Gendry’s blue eyes went a little distant and a genuine smile spread across his face. “It’s been amazing. She’s wonderful.”

      “You love her.” Robb was smiling too, but it was soft.

      “I do.” Gendry nodded. “I always have, really.”

      “Congratulations, mate.” Theon said, tone surprisingly gentle. Theon might be an asshole, but he could also be a nice guy when he wanted to.

      “Thanks.” Gendry bumped his shoulder lightly. “Though I suppose I should be thanking you.”

      Theon barked out a laugh, the serene moment broken. “Actually, you know what, yeah! You should!”

      “Oh, piss off, Theon!” Robb laughed, reaching around Gendry to shove Theon’s shoulder, sending him careening to the side.

      “Fuck off, Robb!” Theon smacked at him.

      Gendry held his hands up in surrender, shoving at both of them. “Hey now, easy there.”

      “You’ll get used to them,” Jon teased. “They’re a bunch of idiots.”

      “They’re not so bad.” Gendry commented, grinning. He opened his mouth to say something else, but his phone started ringing. He glanced down and answered immediately when he saw the name on the screen. “Hey, love, what’s up?”

      “Hi!” Theon shouted.

      Gendry swatted at him, laughing. The smile slid off his face, a frown taking over as he listened. “Babe? What’s wrong?”

      “Uh oh.” Robb murmured quietly to Jon.

      Gendry leaned forward, pressing his finger to his other ear so he could hear better. “Sweetheart, slow down. I can’t understand a word you’re saying. Take a deep breath, love. There you go.”

      “That doesn’t sound good.” Jon whispered.

      Gendry was listening to whatever his girlfriend was saying, a grimace pinching his face together. “Did they say—okay. Seven hells, honey, that’s fucking horrible. Do you want me to come home?”

      “Go.” Robb said to him quietly. Gendry nodded his thanks, pushing to his feet.

      “Yeah, of course, love, it’s no trouble. I’ll be home in fifteen, okay? I love you, too.” Gendry hung up with a sigh, rubbing at his eyes. He turned to them apologetically. “Until next time, lads.”

      “Good luck!” Robb told him.

      “Is she alright?” Jon asked.

      “She will be.” Gendry sighed again. “She’s strong, but she’s been struggling with some school stuff.”

      “Our sister has been having issues too.” Jon said, thoughts drifting to the frown that seemed to permanently live on Arya’s pretty face recently. “I hope she’s well.”

      “Thank you.” Gendry said kindly, shifting to leave.

      “We’re still on for next week, right?” Theon called as Gendry started heading down the bleachers.

      Gendry turned around and gave them a thumbs up, getting swallowed up by the crowd.

      “I like him.” Robb said, grinning a little. “I hope he hangs around more.”

      “Something tells me he will.” Jon said, a smile tugging at his lips.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

6\. NED

      Catelyn had always said Ned had interesting taste in the people he liked.

      Ned thought his friends were relatively normal, but his opinions on normal were probably a little skewed, considering he had seven children and six massive dogs. Of course, only five of those children were biologically his, but Lyanna had died giving birth to Jon, and Theon had been with them so long, Ned thought of him as his own.

      That being said, he knew his children were weird.

      His youngest, Rickon, would be turning thirteen soon, and had just discovered girls. He spent his afternoons sitting on the front porch, listening to godawful music and drooling whenever the high school women’s track team came jogging by, waving to him as they ran past the house.

      Bran, who had turned sixteen not too long ago, spent most of his days with his nose shoved in the pages of his books, or studying new languages. While he wasn’t necessarily strange, he did often stare into space for long periods of time, lost in the imaginary worlds all crammed inside his head.

      Jon, Theon, and Robb were all joined at the hip, just as they had been since they were children. Theon still hounded after every girl who gave him attention, Robb still flirted his way through every social group his came in contact with, and Jon brooded in the background, sarcastically throwing out comments whenever he saw fit.

      Sansa had grown into a fine young woman, though her taste in men was deplorable. He still remembered the day she’d come home, sighing in a daze about the boy she’d met at the football game. Ned had nearly choked on his tongue when he found out it was Joffrey Lannister. Thankfully, Jon and Robb put a stop to that immediately.

      His favorite child, though he’d never admit that to anyone, was Arya.

      She was perhaps the strangest of them all, but also the one who made the most sense. She was very much the depiction of a lone wolf and had been since she was a young child. She was strong-willed, independent, fiercely loyal, and so insanely cunning that it was beginning to be a problem.

      She was a wickedly talented fencer and footie player, highly ranked in all of Westeros, and devilishly competitive. She was sharp as a whip, but for some reason pretended to not be interested in her studies, despite having a perfect GPA and gaining praise and compliments from every teacher who ever taught her.

      Ned knew that if she so desired it, she could have any person she wanted wrapped around her little finger, but instead chose to spend her days with a small cluster of friends of her choosing. She was incredibly secretive and private, a complete change from how she’d been as a child. She was an enigma to her own family.

      So, yes, Ned had weird taste.

      Of course, it was easy to see where Catelyn was coming from as he sat in front of the mechanic shop, staring at the boy in front of him with a gaping jaw. The young man shifted uncomfortably. “Sir?”

      “I’m so sorry,” Ned apologized, blinking. He couldn’t seem to stop staring. “What did you say your name was?”

      “Gendry, sir.” The boy said politely, glancing down at his nametag, his bright blue eyes narrowing at Ned ever so slightly in confusion.

      “Last name?” Ned croaked, still staring.

      “I beg your pardon?” The boy, who had to be about Robb’s age, asked, frowning up at him.

      “I’m sorry, forgive me.” Ned said, shaking his head and forcing himself to look away. “You look an awful lot like a friend of mine.”

      The boy relaxed marginally, smiling a little. “That’s funny, I was sitting here thinking that you looked like one of my friends, too.”

      “You just startled me, is all.” Ned apologized. “Forgive me.”

      “Nothing to forgive, sir.” Gendry smiled again, and Ned was struck once more by the resemblance. _Good lords_ , he thought, _he’s a dead ringer for Robert._

      “Do you… do you mind me asking how old you are?” Ned asked slowly. He knew what the answer would be before Gendry even spoke.

      Ned remembered. He remembered the way the company had fought to keep Robert’s affair tight under wraps. He remembered the way Cersei Lannister, Robert’s wife at the time, had stormed into the office, her pretty face purple with rage as she pounded on Robert’s door and screamed at him until she went hoarse.

      He remembered Robert coming to him late that night, his heart heavy as he listened to his friend admit to his adultery. _She was beautiful, and Cersei and I were fighting at the time,_ Robert had said. _It only happened once, and it was a mistake._ He’d managed to hide the affair for nearly three years before Cersei had eventually caught wind of it.

      The divorce had been _ugly._

      Robert was a rich man, but Cersei was greedy and hurt. Their split had been the talk of the office for over a year, whispers flying around about the mystery woman that had captured Robert Baratheon’s eye. It was well-known that Robert had been in love with Lyanna up until the day she died and married Cersei four months after her death.

      They had one son, Joffrey, who had been no more than a few months old at the time and was the spitting image of his mother—all golden hair, fair skin, and piss-poor attitude. Joffrey went with his mother in the divorce, but Robert wasn’t too upset by it, not even when Joffrey officially had his name changed from Baratheon to Lannister.

      That divorce had been almost twenty years ago, the affair twenty-two.

      “I’ll be turning twenty-one next month.” Gendry shrugged. _Fuck_. “But if you’re worried about my expertise, my mother passed when I was four and I came to live here not long after, with my uncles. I’ve been helping them out in the shop officially since I was thirteen.”

      “Of course, I meant no offense.” Ned said, smiling a little to ease the tenseness in Gendry’s shoulders. “You just looked young, is all.”

      “I get that a lot.” Gendry nodded. “I understand.”

      “Still, I appreciate you taking me without an appointment.” Ned shifted the conversation away.

      “It’s no trouble, sir.” Gendry said, turning his attention back to his work. “It’s a simple fix.”

      “Still, it’s much appreciated.” Gendry gave him another smile. Ned held up his phone and gestured over his shoulder. “Do you mind if I…?”

      “Of course not,” Gendry shook his head. “Take your time.”

      Ned smiled, silently thanking the boy, and wove his way back up to the front of the shop. He stepped outside, the cold air nearly slapping him in the face. He stood there for a few moments, blinking, as he tried to process all of the new information. On autopilot, he dialed Robert’s number.

      “Hello?” Robert Baratheon’s gruff voice answered.

      “I just met your son.” Ned said weakly, staring at nothing.

      “What?” Ned could tell Robert was frowning. He heard Robert shifting in the background. “What the hell are you on about?”

      “Your son.” Ned repeated. “I just met him.”

      “You’ve met Joffrey before.” Robert reminded him slowly, as if he were an idiot.

      “No, not Joffrey.”

      “Well he’s the only son I’ve got,” Robert retorted, a twinge of annoyance in his voice. “Are you alright, Ned?”

      “The woman.” Ned said. “The woman you cheated on Cersei with.”

      Ned didn’t elaborate further, and Robert was silent for a long beat before he ground out, “What about her?”

      “She had a son.” Ned told him.

      “ _What_?” Robert shouted.

      “He looks exactly like you, Robert.” Ned said quietly. “Seven hells, when I saw him, I thought I’d seen a ghost.”

      “How do you know?” Robert asked, harshly. “How can you be positive?”

      “He’s the right age. Has your eyes and hair and even your damn nose.” Ned rubbed at his forehead.

      “Fuck.” Robert whispered.

      “He seems like a good kid.” Ned told him, glancing back in the shop. He could see Gendry working on his car, his phone between his ear and his shoulder, his lips moving as he spoke to someone. “He’s very polite. Maybe he’s not yours after all.”

      “Ned.” Robert laughed, then sobered. “What the hell do I do?”

      “You could come meet him?” Ned offered.

      “He wouldn’t want me as a father.” Robert said quietly, somber. “He’s better off without me.”

      “You don’t want to meet him?”

      “I don’t want to ruin him.” Robert admitted. “You said he seems like a good kid?”

      “He’s polite,” Ned repeated. “Even when I was being a creep and staring at him like he had a third head. He has a kind heart, I can tell. He’s strong looking, too. There are some trophies in the shop, so he must’ve been an athlete. He’s a hard worker. Said he’s been working since he was thirteen.”

      “Good.” Robert said, voice low. “He didn’t end up like me, then.”

      “You should meet him, Robert.” Ned said gently. “If not for you, then for him. I’m sure he’s curious.”

      Robert was quiet for such a long time that Ned thought he’d hung up. Finally, after too long, Robert said, “Send me the address.”

      “Good luck, my friend.” Ned told him and hung up the phone, shooting Robert a text with the address to Gendry’s shop. He took another deep breath and pushed the door back open, heading inside. He could hear Gendry laughing happily at something as he approached the back of the store.

      “—yeah, well, that’s just what you think.” Gendry was saying. His eyes darted up to meet Ned’s as he approached the car. Gendry was still smiling as he shifted the phone that was now pressed between his ear and his shoulder. “I’ve got to go, love. I’ll see you tonight? Alright, I love you. Be good.”

      “You didn’t have to end your call.” Ned said, shifting from foot to foot.

      Gendry was still smiling as he tucked his phone back into his pants. “It’s alright, she understands that work has to come first.”

      “You’re a lucky one.” Ned remarked.

      Gendry nodded. “I am.”

      “At least you know it.” Ned grinned.

      “Aye.” Gendry laughed, shaking his head. “A good woman is hard to come by, if you listen to any of my friends.”

      “Keep her close then.” Ned told him.

      Gendry’s eyes softened as he smiled. “I intend to.”

      “How long have you been together?” Ned asked, settling down in the plastic chairs along the wall.

      Gendry hummed as he tinkered around under the hood of Ned’s car. “About eight months, sir.”

      “Do you think you’ll marry her?” Ned asked. He knew that it was the type of question to make men sweat and panic.

      But, to his complete surprise, Gendry popped his head out over the hood of the car, beaming. “Yeah, I do.”

      “Good lad.” Ned smiled back at him. “I guess the better question is, do you think she’ll marry _you_?”

      Gendry barked out a laugh, cleaning off his hands. “That’s a good question. I hope so. I love her more than anything, and I know she loves me too. But she’s stubborn, that one. She’ll probably say no, just to spite me.”

      “I know how that feels.” Ned said, still smiling. “My youngest daughter is like that—she’s a lone wolf, that one. Her mother and I are convinced she’ll never settle down.”

      “She’d get along great with my girl then.” Gendry shook his head, still laughing. “I love her to pieces, don’t get me wrong, but I like taking care of her from time to time too.”

      Ned groaned. “When my daughter was eight, she sat me and her mother down at the dinner table and told us to stop checking in on her because she was old enough to take care of herself.”

      Gendry gaped, gobsmacked. “You’re kidding.”

      “I wish I was.” Ned said gravely. “Gods know I’d do anything for that girl. I’m her father, for Seven’s sake, and I want to care of her, but that’s never been her thing.”

      “That’s my girl, too.” Gendry nodded. “Independent to a fault, that one. Sometimes I feel like she just lets me tag along with her so I don’t feel bad.”

      Ned snorted, then blushed profusely. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at that—”

      “No, it’s alright,” Gendry waved him off, laughing. “It’s pretty funny.”

      “Well, I’m glad things are going well for you two.” Ned said, his tone sincere. He truly meant it. He could only imagine what it was like growing up in an auto shop, without a mother or a father.

      Gendry smiled, pleased. “Thank you.”

      “Of course.”

      “You’re all fixed up, by the way.” Gendry shut the hood of the car and wiped his hands on a rag. Ned climbed to his feet, shaking Gendry’s hand with a smile. He paid the boy and tipped him generously, enjoying the way his cheeks tinged pink as he begrudgingly accepted the money Ned held out to him.

      Ned left the shop feeling lighter than he had in years.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

7\. SANSA

      College was kicking Sansa’s ass.

      She was getting ready to finish her first year, but her course load was beginning to pile up. Finals would be happening in a few weeks and Sansa had four projects due, six papers to write, and three presentations to put together. She was stressing out but trying to remain calm as she opened a blank document and started writing.

      She liked to be an overachiever and turn her work in early, but she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to do that this time. She had one of her papers done already, a seven page report on the history of the Targaryen rulers from a thousand years ago, and was waiting to submit it closer to her deadline in case she needed to make any changes.

      Sansa let herself get lost in the groove of writing, focusing on the words she was typing and the feel of the keys under her fingers. She let music play quietly in the background as she worked, finding the rhythmic clicking of the keys to be relaxing and therapeutic as she composed her essay.

      She didn’t even notice Arya slink into the room.

      Arya had always been the strangest of the Stark children, with her inability to hold in her opinions with her quick-wit and sharp tongue. Despite her fiery personality, she was actually one of the quietest of the bunch, save for Bran, preferring to observe rather than participate in the conversation around her.

      She was silent when she moved, too. Sansa couldn’t remember exactly when they’d all realized it, but at some point, Arya had gone from stomping around the house, to gliding down the hallway with light feet and soundless steps. She often snuck up on them, even though it was unintentional.

      It was why Sansa wasn’t startled to see her sitting in the loveseat, quietly reading her well-loved copy of _Nymeria_. Sansa hadn’t heard her enter the living room, hadn’t heard her sit down in the large chair next to her, hadn’t heard her as she flipped the pages as she read. She had no idea how long Arya had been there.

      Sansa jumped when Arya’s phone started ringing. Her phone wasn’t loud by any means, but in the quiet of the room, it sent Sansa’s heart fluttering, making her yelp as she clutched a hand to her chest. “Seven hells!”

      Arya only smirked and answered the call. “Hello?”

      “How long have you been sitting there?” Sansa demanded, ignoring the fact that Arya was on the phone.

      Even from several feet away, Sansa could hear the panicked voice on the other end of the line. Sansa’s curiosity was piqued. Arya sat up suddenly, shutting her book as a surprised frown came over her face. “Wait, wait—slow down. Back up. _What_?”

      “Who’s she talking to?” Robb asked as he came around the corner into the living room, flopping down next to Sansa.

      “I have no idea.” Sansa shrugged.

      “You’re fucking kidding me.” Arya’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Your _father_ —What? How do you know?”

      “Is everything alright?” Robb asked, frowning.

      Arya waved a hand at him, listening intently. “Seven fucking hells,” She exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Are you alrig—I’ll be over soon. Take a deep breath.”

      “Who is it?”

      “None of your business,” Arya snapped at him, standing up and stuffing her feet into her sneakers. She paused, listening. “What? No, not you. My brother is being nosy.”

      “Sorry!” Robb called.

      “I’m leaving my house now. I’ll be there soon, okay?” Arya told whoever was on the other end of the phone. The voice seemed to have calmed down a bit, but Sansa could still faintly hear the other person talking. Then Arya smiled, small and genuine, and glanced down at her shoes. “Yeah, you too, you idiot. I’m on my way.”

      Arya hung up the phone, meeting her sister’s narrowed gaze. “Who was that?”

      “None of your business.” Arya repeated, rolling her eyes.

      “How long are you gonna be out?” Robb asked, eyes tracking Arya as she walked through the house, collecting her jacket and oddly enough, _his_ car keys. “Wait a second—are you taking _my_ car?”

      “Yes.” Arya replied, smirking. She headed to the front door, twirling Robb’s keys around her fingers.

      “Arya Stark!” Robb leaped off the couch after her, but Arya was already outside. Sansa followed, mainly out of curiosity. Arya flicked Robb off as she climbed into his car and pulled out of the driveway.

      “Well that was interesting.” Sansa remarked blandly to Robb, raising an eyebrow.

      “What in the seven hells are you two doing?” Sansa and Robb whirled to find Jon standing at the base of the stairs, staring at them in confusion. Theon was a step behind him, head cocked to the side.

      “Arya just jacked my car.” Robb grumbled, shutting the door. “One of you text Gendry and tell him he’ll have to come get us.”

      “About that,” Jon stepped fully into the hallway, waving his phone. “Gendry just texted. He said something came up. Family emergency.”

      “Fuck.” Robb groaned. “I was looking forward to tonight.”

      “We all were.” Theon grumbled.

      “Gendry said we’re on for next week, though.” Jon told him. “He says he’s sorry, by the way.”

      “I swear to god, that guy is too fucking polite.” Theon muttered, heading for the kitchen. Jon, Robb, and Sansa followed behind him.

      “Who is this?” Sansa asked, frowning.

      “Gendry.” Robb said unhelpfully.

      “Yes, brother, I had gathered that was his name.” She snarked.

      Jon laughed a little and turned towards her. “He’s a mate of ours.”

      “I don’t think I’ve ever met him.” Sansa told Jon, frowning again. She wracked her brain, trying to remember if she’d ever met anyone named Gendry, but came up blank.

      “You probably haven’t.” Robb told him, pulling a bottle of water out of their fridge. “I met him a few years ago, but we only reconnected like a year ago.”

      “How come?”

      “We only met in passing and then we happened to run into him at one of the Winterfell games.” Robb shrugged. “Turns out he’d met Theon before and remembered us both.”

      “How come you’ve never brought him over?” Sansa asked, settling in on one of the barstools, swiveling from side to side.

      Jon sighed, plopping down next to her. “We’ve tried a bunch of times. He’s always busy—he’s got two full time jobs and a girl. We’ve got a long-standing date with him on Friday nights to get drinks at The Wall every other week, but we’re lucky if he’s able to make it.”

      “Did he go to Winterfell?”

      “No, he went to King’s Landing.”

      “Gross.” Sansa scowled.

      Theon laughed at Sansa’s expression, shaking his head. “Fear not, Red, he hates King’s Landing more than we do. He hates _Joffrey_ more than we do.”

      “No one hates Joffrey more than I do.” Sansa grumbled.

      “I don’t know,” Jon laughed. “We went to one of his last games with Gendry and I swear to the Seven, that boy is the most mild-mannered, polite bloke you’ll ever meet, but he screamed like he was possessed by the gods himself when Joffrey was taken down by Brienne Tarth in the final quarter.”

      “Oh my gods,” Robb wheezed, cackling. “I _remember_ that!”

      “That was the funniest fucking thing I’ve ever seen!” Theon agreed. “I thought Gendry was going to bust a nut right then and there when that fucker went down. I wish someone had been fucking recording.”

      “I would’ve paid good money to see Brienne take down Joffrey.” Sansa muttered darkly. “I wish I had been there.”

      “You should’ve seen Arya’s face when we told her—absolutely priceless!”

      “Has Arya met Gendry? Because I’ll be completely offended if everyone knows him but me.” Sansa asked, raising an eyebrow.

      “Nah,” Robb waved a hand. “We only started getting to know Gendry a year or so, and besides, you know how Arya is.”

      “Secretive and distant as ever,” Sansa said, tone wistful. “Remember when she used to tell us everything?”

      “And we prayed to the Seven that she wouldn’t?” Jon asked, tone going somber. He stared down at his fingers darkly. “I guess we got our wish.”

      “What was that call all about, anyway?” Sansa asked, glancing at Robb.

      “What call?” Jon asked, looking between her and Robb.

      “Arya got a call and scurried out of here like Death itself was on her heels,” Robb shrugged. “She wouldn’t tell us who it was.”

      “Hm.” Jon frowned. “She never talks to me anymore, so don’t ask me.”

      “Really?” Sansa was genuinely surprised. “You’re her favorite, though.”

      “Arya and I haven’t had a heart to heart in years,” Jon said glumly. “She started withdrawing from me around the time I started dating Ygritte, then when we broke up, Arya had moved on to someone else.”

      “Who?” Robb asked immediately, eyebrows furrowed.

      “I don’t know.” Jon shook his head. “She never told me their name. Wouldn’t even tell me if it was a boy or girl.”

      “Does anyone know?” Sansa asked the group. All of them frowned at each other, shaking their heads. Finally, Sansa sighed. “Well, you know our sister. She’s strong and she can take care of herself. I’m sure whatever the situation is, she has it under control.”

      “She always does.” Jon smiled.

      They all stood around, lost in thoughts of Arya and her quirkiness, before Sansa suddenly shouted, “Shit! My paper!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

8\. CATELYN

      Catelyn instantly regretted her choices that had led her to this moment.

      Her local grocery store, while not the biggest store she’d ever been in, was still massive and teeming with people. _I should’ve sent Robb_ , she thought grimly, gripping her cart as she maneuvered her way through the streams of people. She pulled her grocery list out of her pocket and sighed.

      Having seven children living under her roof and six massive beasts was the dumbest decision she’d ever made. Granted, she wouldn’t give her children up for anything in the entire world, even Jon and Theon, who weren’t even biologically hers, but she still considered them her children nonetheless.

      The dogs were the dumbest decision she’d ever made.

      Godsdamn Benjen for not spaying his dog and having a litter. And godsdamn him for the puppies being so bloody adorable. And godsdamn Ned for convincing her to let the children come over and meet the new pups. And godsdamn _herself_ for not having the strength to say no to her children.

      Begrudgingly, she had to admit that the dogs had actually been a wonderful idea in the long-run. Early on, they’d taught her children the responsibility that came with being a pet owner. Robb, Rickon, and Sansa had been a little slow with understanding how dogs worked, but Arya, Bran, and Jon had picked up on their behavior straight away.

      As the dogs grew up and got bigger and bigger, dwarfing her smaller children, Catelyn had worried about them running mad and possibly hurting the kids. To her shock, the dogs were aware enough to know that they could play rough with Jon, Robb, Theon, and even Arya, but had to be gentle with Sansa, Bran, and Rickon.

      The dogs grew up well loved and well behaved, for the most part. Nymeria, Arya’s massive white and grey Newfoundland, was a little unruly and wild from time to time, but then again, so was Arya. Catelyn couldn’t fault the dog for growing up exactly like her master, she supposed.

      Shaggydog and Grey Wind were both wild occasionally too, but as was the case with Arya, they learned from their masters. Bran’s dog, Summer, was as calm and collected as he was. Catelyn would never admit it, but Summer was her favorite, with his soothing presence and gentle demeanor.

      Lady and Ghost were both the best trained, save for Summer, though Lady was the most standoffish of the litter. She clung to Sansa’s side and hardly ever played with her brothers or sisters when they trampled around the yard. Ghost was as gentle and kind as Jon was, and just as protective.

      So, yes, Catelyn loved the dogs, but she didn’t like how much the dogs ate.

      She usually sent Robb out to pick up the dog food because they bought in bulk and it was a lot for her to do by herself. She sighed as she made her way to the back of the store, the wheels on her cart squeaking as she turned sharply down the dog food aisle, pausing in front of the different selections, overwhelmed.

      Each bag was over thirty pounds.

      Seven hells.

      Catelyn sighed and grabbed the brand they always bought and slid it to the edge of the shelf, bracing her knees and getting under it as she prepared to tug it off of the shelf. Just as she was about to pull, someone cleared their throat next to her and she startled, whirling around, her auburn braid whipping around her face.

      A young gentleman, probably Robb’s age, stood before her, looking sheepish. He had a caddy in his hand, a small bag of dog treats in it. He was an attractive young man, with dark hair and startlingly blue eyes. “I’m sorry to startle you, ma’am.” He said politely. “Would you like some help with that?”

      “Thank the Seven, _yes_ ,” Catelyn practically hissed, stepping out of the way. She smiled at him. “Thank you…”

      “Gendry, ma’am.” He said, giving her a small smile in return. Catelyn blinked in shock. _That’s Robert Baratheon’s son. The one that Ned found last year._ He set his caddy on the ground and easily hefted the dog food off of the shelf and into her cart.

      “Thank you, Gendry.” Catelyn finished, eyeing his face.

      “It’s no problem.” He gave her another easy smile.

      “I hate to trouble you, but I’ve got a literal farm in my home.” Catelyn said awkwardly. “We usually buy in bulk.”

      “No worries.” Gendry smiled again, his face lighting up. _Gods_ , Catelyn observed, _he was a handsome one_. He hefted another bag off of the shelf and into her cart.

      “I don’t know what possessed me to let my family convince me that we needed a house full of dogs, but here we are.” Catelyn sighed.

      “I understand that,” Gendry laughed. “My girlfriend’s family has six dogs.”

      “I feel for her mother.” Catelyn said grimly, remembering the time when their dogs had been small and cute.

      “They buy the same brand of dog food.” Gendry told Catelyn, picking up another bag. “I’ve stopped by her house a few times to feed them while her family is out.”

      “That’s very kind of you.” Catelyn said, smiling at him. _Seven hells, how on earth was this_ Robert’s _child_?

      “I love her dogs,” Gendry admitted. “They’re sweet.”

      “I wish my dogs were sweet.” Catelyn grumbled.

      “I bet you wouldn’t trade them for anything though,” Gendry teased. “The house would be far too quiet.”

      Catelyn barked out a laugh. “Yes, you’d be right about that much.”

      “Is this enough?” Gendry stepped back, gesturing to her cart. He’d given her four large bags, which should last them a few weeks.

      “It’s perfect.” Catelyn told him, patting him on the arm, only barely containing her surprise at the cords of muscle she felt underneath his jacket. _A strong one, then_. “Thank you so much for your help. It was very kind of you.”

      “I was happy to help.” Catelyn believed him. He seemed like the type to do good things out of the kindness of his heart.

      “Well I’ll just be on my w—” Catelyn started to push her cart and paused when it wouldn’t budge. She pushed again. “Seven hells.”

      “Can I just—?”

      “Could you—?”

      They both paused and blinked at each other before bursting into laughter. Gendry walked around to the handle of the cart. “Allow me.”

      “Thank you.” Catelyn laughed, not even the least bit embarrassed. “I think that cart probably weighs more than I do.”

      “It just very well might.” Gendry agreed as he pushed the cart. It took a second before the wheels started turning, but eventually they did, and he was able to maneuver it with ease.

      “I’ll grab your caddy.” Catelyn picked his basket up off of the ground and held it in her hands.

      “Thank you, milady,” Gendry gave her a charming mock bow and she laughed, delighted. “Very generous of you.”

      “You’re a charmer, aren’t you?” Catelyn observed, grinning when his face instantly went red. “No surprise that you’ve got a girlfriend, then.”

      “Might surprise you if you knew her.” Gendry laughed. “She’s very… independent.”

      “How did you meet her?” Catelyn asked, genuinely interested.

      “I met her… goodness, probably about five years ago, but we only started dating about three years ago.” Gendry looked surprised as he said it.

      “What took you so long to get together?” Catelyn asked.

      “We were best friends,” Gendry said simply. “And she’s so far out of my league it’s ridiculous. I didn’t want to make a move and ruin the relationship we already had. She was my whole world and I didn’t want to lose her.”

      Catelyn smile was sweet and kind when she stared up at him. She was touched by his thoughtful words. “That’s very considerate of you. Seven knows my son Robb could learn a thing or two from you. He rushes headfirst into every relationship that comes his way.”

      Gendry laughed as they came to a stop in the line for the self-checkout. “My friend Robb is the same way.”

      “Think it’s the same Robb?” Catelyn raised an eyebrow.

      “No,” Gendry shook his head. “There’s no way a woman as elegant and graceful as you could’ve raised such a fool.”

      A guffaw erupted out of Catelyn’s mouth as she burst into laughter. “Oh, you’re a charmer alright. That poor girl didn’t stand a chance.”

      “You flatter me.” Gendry said, but he looked pleased.

      “Maybe I should introduce you to my sons,” Catelyn hummed thoughtfully. “I have a feeling you’d be a good influence on them.”

      “Oh, I don’t know about that.” Gendry said, picking up the handheld scanner at the checkout and scanning her dog food. “I have my moments.”

      “Of course you do,” Catelyn rolled her eyes, pulling her credit card out of her wallet. “You’re a boy.”

      “Ouch.”

      “I have a handful of sons,” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I think I would know.”

      “Fair enough.” Gendry conceded, grinning. Catelyn laughed with him, dropping his items into her bags, scanning them as they went by. Gendry’s smile dropped, and he stepped forward. “Oh, that was mine—”

      “I’ve got you covered.” Catelyn told him.

      He looked surprised. “Oh, please, it’s alright—”

      “Too late.” Catelyn said, swiping her card. The machine beeped happily back at her and she grabbed the receipt, stuffing it into her purse.

      “You didn’t need to do that.” Gendry said, still frowning.

      “I wanted to.” She told him. There was a slight flush on his cheek and she suddenly remembered the conversation she’d had with Ned. _He seemed shy. Didn’t want to take my money when I tipped him. Think he might be a little sensitive about it because he didn’t grow up with much._ “Come on.”

      “What?” Gendry blinked at her.

      “Well I can’t exactly push this out to the lot, can I?” Catelyn asked dryly, quirking a brow at him.

      Gendry blinked at her, before he laughed. “Right.”

      “Good lad.” She said, patting him on the back as she followed him out to the lot. She led him to her car and popped the trunk for him, watching as he stuffed everything in the back of her car. After the last bag was in, Gendry stepped back and frowned.

      “Are you gonna be able to get the rest of this inside?” He asked.

      She smiled and patted his cheek. “Like I said, I’ve got a house full of boys. I’ll make them get it.”

      He snickered. “Good idea.”

      “I’ll let you get back to your girlfriend, Gendry.” Catelyn said, stepping back. “I’ve kept you long enough.”

      “It was no trouble.” He told her sincerely. “I was glad to help.”

      “Have a good night, Gendry.” She called to him as he started backing up towards his car.

      “You too!” He called back, waving to her before he disappeared behind a row of cars and out of her sight.

      Catelyn shut her trunk and climbed into her car, a small smile staying on her face the whole drive back to the house.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

9\. THE STARKS

      Arya’s twenty first birthday started at exactly midnight, when her phone started ringing. She picked it up, a smile already on her face. “Gendry—”

      “Happy birthday, my love.” He told her, cutting off whatever she was about to say.

      “Thank you,” She said, digging her foot into the covers of her bed. Ever since she’d met him, Gendry had been sure to call her at exactly midnight on her birthday. _I wanted to be the first one to wish you happy birthday_ , he’d admitted the first year. “You’re sweet to call.”

      “Of course,” He scoffed. “I’d never miss your birthday.”

      “I know.” She said, still smiling. Beside her, Nymeria cocked her head. Arya ran her fingers through her Newfoundland’s fur.

      “What are you up to, gorgeous?” He asked. She could hear him rolling over in his bed, his sheets rustling as he moved.

      She flushed red and hid her face in her chest, despite him not being able to see her. “Stop that,” She admonished half-heartedly. “And for your information, I was just reading.”

      “Anything good?”

      “Always,” Arya said primly. “I have impeccable taste.”

      “You’re reading _Nymeria_ again, aren’t you?”

      “Shut up,” She scowled. Gendry’s laugh filled her ears and she couldn’t stop the smile that stretched over her face. “What are you up to?”

      “Nothing,” She could hear him shrugging. “I was just waiting to call you, honestly. Been watching the reruns of the footie match.”

      “Jaime Lannister scores at the ninety-minute mark.” Arya told him.

      “Of course he does,” Gendry grumbled. “Golden bastard.

      “You’re just jealous.”

      “Maybe.”

      She laughed at him and they fell into a comfortable silence. Neither of them were big talkers, but they didn’t mind sitting in silence together. It was one of the things she loved the most about him. A thought burned at the tip of her tongue until she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Gendry?”

      “Hm?”

      “I want you to meet my family today.” Silence greeted her at the other end of the line. Arya worried her lip between her teeth for a few seconds, before she asked, “Honey?”

      “Sorry,” Gendry croaked out. “I’m here.”

      “Was—did I—?”

      “Arya,” Gendry cut off her rambling, his tone gentle. “I’m sorry, love, you just caught me off guard.”

      Arya took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

      Gendry shushed her. “Don’t be. I’m ecstatic.”

      “Yeah?” Arya asked, the ball of nerves in her stomach finally unfurling.

      “Are you kidding me? Yes, of course I am.” He told her, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “I’ve been wanting to meet your family for ages.”

      The smile slipped from her face. She picked at the loose thread on her duvet. Very quietly, she said, “I’m sorry.”

      “Sweetheart, don’t be.” Gendry told her, but it didn’t stop the guilt from building in her chest. She curled up into a ball on her bed, her phone still pressed to her ear. She and Gendry rarely fought—in fact, she could list the number of times they’d ever genuinely fought on one hand and still have a few fingers left over.

      The first fight had been during their first year of friendship. Arya had only been fourteen and Gendry had been seventeen, but they were thick as thieves. She’d bought him a present for his eighteenth birthday, an expensive watch that would’ve cost him a couple months’ salary, and he’d been furious.

      He’d yelled about how it was too much money, too much to give to someone she hardly knew. Arya didn’t cry often, but she’d cried then, when her best friend was yelling in her face. Gendry had seen her tears and immediately regretted his words, swallowing her up in a hug that ended with him getting a bruise on his ribcage from her elbow.

      In Arya’s defense, he was being an ass and deserved it.

      Gendry agreed.

      That was the first night that Gendry truly opened up to her, telling her about his childhood—his mother dying, his father being absent, and being sent to live with his uncles. He told her about his struggles growing up, how he’d started working young, and how money was a touchy subject with him.

      She’d listened to him with rapt attention and accepted the genuine apology he gave her at the end of the night, giving him a hug and calling him a bull-headed idiot. Gendry had laughed wetly into her hair and both of them had pretended like they weren’t crying when they pulled apart.

      The second fight had been during their first year into dating. A few months into the relationship, Gendry had offhandedly asked about meeting her family and Arya had shut the conversation down so fast that Gendry was left to stare at her, shocked and wounded by her quick dismissal.

      He had pretended that it didn’t bother him for a few days before Arya had finally huffed and told him to spill whatever it was that was pissing off. Gendry had tried to control himself, he really had, but with Arya poking at him the way she was, he couldn’t stop himself from accusing her of being ashamed of him.

      The way her eyes had darkened with hurt would haunt him for the rest of his life.

      She’d listened patiently while he complained about feeling unworthy and feeling like she was embarrassed of him, her face sad. When he was finally done, she’d stood up and smacked him across the back of the head. He’d stared at her in shock as she sat down next to him and buried her head in his chest.

      Arya hardly spoke of her family when they were together, but he knew that she had five brothers and a sister and felt secluded from her family. He knew that she felt like the black sheep and that she blamed herself for her own self-imposed isolation, which had started when she’d been a child.

      But he’d listened as she spoke into the fabric of his sweater, trembling a little as she told him about her insecurities and her fears. He’d held her through her rambling, lightly rubbing her back and keeping her close to him. He kept his breathing even and hoped that his heartbeat wasn’t racing too fast, trying to keep her calm.

      There was nothing he hated more than seeing her cry.

      The night ended with her tucked into his side, all of her anxieties festering in her small body and leaving her needy and desperate for human contact. He’d been happy to provide it for her, pulling her further into him until her head was tucked under his chin and she was practically clinging to him.

      Those were the only two real fights they had ever had, the others nothing more than squabbling and bickering that they were both done with hours later. Since then, Gendry and Arya had both vowed to be better at communicating their issues, and they had been. Everything had been relatively smooth sailing since.

      Gendry’s voice brought her back to the present. “Arya?”

      “I’m here,” She said softly. “Sorry.”

      “Don’t apologize.” He told her. “What’s going through your mind?”

      “I just… I know it bothers you that you haven’t met my family yet.”

      “Yeah,” Gendry said slowly, carefully. “I won’t lie to you and say that it doesn’t. We’ve been dating for over three years and I don’t even think your family knows you have a boyfriend.”

      “I’m sure they have their suspicions.” Arya said quietly.

      “Arya.” He chided.

      “I know, I’m sorry,” She sighed.

      “Why now?” Gendry asked her, voice gentle.

      “Because I love you.” She mumbled, pulling harder at the loose thread in her blanket. “I love you more than I know what to do with.”

      “And I love you just the same. You know that.”

      “I do.” She nodded, even though he couldn’t see. “But I’m just scared. My family… they don’t really know me. They never have. I don’t know what I’ll do if they don’t like you.”

      “I’ll be on my best behavior, I swear it.” Gendry promised. “And if they still don’t like me… well, we’ll figure something out.”

      “What?” Arya’s nose wrinkled as she frowned. “What are you talking about?”

      “I…” He trailed off, lost for words. “I think I’m confused.”

      “Me too.” Arya said, still frowning.

      “I can’t lose you, Arya,” Gendry told her. “If your family doesn’t like me, I can’t lose you like that.”

      “Wait, hold on,” Arya sat up, rubbing her eyes. “You think I’d break up with you because my family doesn’t like you?”

      Gendry was quiet for a moment before he hesitantly said, “Isn’t that what you were talking about?”

      “Wha—seven hells, _no_!” Arya all but shouted. “I was talking about how I was going to have to move out if they didn’t like you. I wasn’t planning on moving out until after I’d graduated college, but if they don’t like you, I can’t stay here.”

      “Oh.” Gendry squeaked.

      “Good grief, you’re a moron,” Arya grumbled. “I love you, you stupid oaf. I’m not giving you up ever, my family be damned.”

      Gendry was silent for a long time before he said, “I can’t wait to marry you.”

      Arya rolled her eyes, but her heart was beating erratically, her face flushing. “Who said anything about marriage?”

      Gendry sighed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.”

      They talked on the phone for another hour or so before Arya’s yawns started overpowering their conversation and Gendry had chuckled and sent to her to sleep. They’d hung up, smiles on both of their faces. Arya fell asleep with her fingers buried in Nymeria’s fur and her mind filled with images of blue eyes and broad shoulders.

      She woke up to the sound of her door creaking open, her family trying to creep into her room. She opened her eyes and stared at them flatly. They all deflated, Jon and Robb halfway to her bed. Robb pouted. “For once, could you just go with it?”

      Arya smirked and sat up, stretching. “Where’s the fun in that?”

      Her family grumbled as she shooed them out so she could get changed. Arya put on her favorite shirt—a soft, well-worn Winterfell Wolves tank top that she’d stolen out of Gendry’s closet—and a pair of comfortable jeans and tucked her feet into her boots. She made her way downstairs, Nymeria at her heels.

      “Happy birthday, honey.” Her father pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she passed him.

      “Happy birthday, squirt.” Robb tugged at her shirt as she made her way to the fridge. Her family all greeted her similarly, grinning.

      “Thank you.” Arya laughed.

      “So, what are your plans for today?” Jon asked, aiming for nonchalant and missing by a mile.

      “I don’t have any.” Arya shrugged. Everyone turned to stare at her. She lowered her glass, frowning. “What?”

      “You always have plans.” Bran stated.

      “No, I don’t.”

      “You’re never home.” Sansa pointed out.

      Arya shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I have plans.”

      “Fine,” Jon sighed. “Arya, are you planning on leaving the house today and doing whatever it is that you do?”

      She grinned at him. “Why would I? I thought you all were throwing me a surprise party?”

      “Who told?” Her mother exclaimed, waving her arms.

      “It wasn’t me!” Sansa shouted immediately. “It was probably Rickon!”

      “I didn’t say anything, I swear!” Rickon yelped, flapping his arms around when his mother and sister whirled on him. “It was Theon!”

      Theon, who was halfway into the fridge, banged his head on the shelf in his haste to scramble out. “Rickon, what the fuck? I didn’t say a thing!”

      “No one told me.” Arya said, laughing. “You’re all just bad at keeping secrets.”

      Her father grumbled as he ruffled Arya’s hair. “Aye, and you’re too clever for your own good, missy.”

      “That too.” Arya said.

      “So, you’re actually going to indulge us this year?” Catelyn asked, sighing. “You’ll let us throw you a party?”

      Arya nodded. “It’s my twenty-first. You might as well.”

      “I’m excited.” Sansa grinned. “It’ll be so much fun.”

      “We’re having a barbeque, right?” Arya asked, leaning against the counter. Sansa nodded. “Thank the Seven, I’ve been craving a good burger lately.”

      Everyone laughed and dispersed across the kitchen as their parents started cooking breakfast—pancakes and eggs, at Arya’s request. Once breakfast was finished, they settled in at the table to eat, one of the few traditions Arya would actually put up with when it came to family bonding.

      “When did you find out, Arya?” Their father asked, halfway into his breakfast.

      “Ned,” Her mother admonished lightly. “Chew your food, darling.”

      He smiled apologetically as Arya shrugged, spearing a piece of pancake. “A month ago, I think.”

      Their father sighed and turned to his wife. “Well, we tried.”

      “I appreciate it.” Arya told him, meaning it.

      “Well, we’re glad.” Her mother grinned. “Though, I’m not sure how you’re going to like hanging out with all of us for the rest of the night.”

      “I’ll be fine,” Arya said lightly, her grip on her fork tightening. _Now or never._ “Besides, I invited my boyfriend.”

      The table went dead silent.

      Arya refused to look up, shoveling bits of pancake into her mouth, regretting her words. The only sounds that could be heard in their dining room were Arya chewing loudly and sucking down her water as she expertly avoided everyone’s gaze. Her shoulders hunched up towards her ears the longer they stared in silence.

      “I’m sorry,” Robb was the first to recover, speaking slowly. He looked like he’d been hit in the face with a shovel. “I think I heard you wrong.”

      Arya stuffed another bite of egg into her mouth, shaking her head. “You didn’t.”

      “It sounded like you said boyfriend.” Jon said, eyes narrowing.

      “Yep.”

      “Did you?”

      “Sure did.” Arya said, her face obscured by her curtain of dark hair.

      “Since when…” Sansa started, floundering for words. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

      Arya winced and sank down in her seat. “Three years ago?”

      “What?!” Everyone at the table seemed to shout at once.

      “It’s not that big of a deal!” Arya yelled over the chaos. “You’ll meet him later, he’s a great guy, I promise.”

      “You mean to tell me that you’ve been dating someone for three years and _none of us knew_?” Her mother stated, staring at her youngest daughter like she’d never seen her before.

      “Getting closer to four…” Arya muttered under her breath.

      “Arya!”

      “In your defense, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Arya said, grimacing.

      “Is that supposed to make us feel better? Because it doesn’t.” Jon said, frowning.

      “Leave her be,” Bran cut in, his smooth voice cutting across everyone’s grumbling. “Arya’s always been secretive. None of you are actually surprised that she was able to keep it a quiet this long.” He glanced around at everyone before his eyes settled on Arya. “I’m happy for you, Arya. I truly am.”

      Arya gave him a weak smile. “Thank you, Bran.”

      “We’re all happy for you, honey.” Their father said, his voice kind as he recovered. “I wish you’d felt comfortable with telling us sooner, but I’m glad you told us and didn’t just go off and elope.”

      Arya gave him a small laugh, then sobered. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all sooner. I wanted to, but I didn’t know how.”

      “You can tell us anything, Arry,” Rickon said, frowning, the nickname flowing off his tongue before he could stop it. “You’re our sister and we love you.”

      Everyone pretended not to notice the way Arya’s slate eyes welled with unshed tears. “Thanks, Rickon.”

      “He’s right,” Robb said, wrapping an arm around Arya’s shoulders. “We love you, kid.”

      “I love you all, too.” Arya said quietly. “I know I don’t say it enough, but I do.”

      “We know, honey.” Their mother said, her eyes shining with tears.

      “Good.” Arya stared down at her plate for a second before she sniffed and sat up, clearing her throat, blinking rapidly. At once, she was back to being cool and collected. “Okay, great, now that _that’s_ over, can we go back to eating?”

      The room filled with laughter as the Starks slowly resumed eating, smiles all around the table. No one bothered Arya about her mystery boyfriend for the rest of the day, though she could tell they were all buzzing with excitement. It pleased her to know that at the very least, Gendry would be well received.

      For the majority of the morning and well into the afternoon, the Starks did their best to give Arya a good birthday. They gathered around to watch her favorite movie, allowed her to pick out the games they played, and even got together to play a massive game of footie in the backyard, which her team dominated, as usual.

      They moved their festivities completely outside as the day went on, Jon and Robb firing up the grill and the dogs being released into the yard. Her mother had dragged her presents outside, stacking them up on the table, ignoring Arya’s protests. Everyone was comfortably hanging out in the yard when she heard Gendry’s car pull up.

      Arya fled into the house, aware that every eye was on her as she made her way out to the front yard, tapping her foot on the porch as Gendry climbed out of the car, beaming at her. Something in her chest settled at the sight of him. He looked nervous, but thrilled nonetheless. He made his way over to her, pressing a kiss to her lips when he reached her.

      “Happy birthday.” He murmured against her mouth.

      “You already wished me a happy birthday.” She reminded him, leaning into him. Her arms wove around his waist and she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

      Gendry wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, swaying them back and forth a bit. “I know, but I wanted to say it again, in person.”

      “Well, thank you.” She said softly, clutching at the fabric of his shirt.

      “You ready for this?” He asked her, running his fingers through her hair.

      She nodded into his chest. “I told them you were coming this morning. They’re anxious to meet you.”

      Gendry tilted her head up and stole another kiss. “It’s going to be alright, Arya, I promise.”

      “Okay.” She nodded, trusting him. “Let’s do this.”

      “After you, love.”

      Gendry threaded his fingers through Arya’s and allowed her to drag him through the now familiar house. Whenever Gendry had been there in the past, the house had been empty, save for the dogs, and Arya’s youngest brother that first time. But now, as they neared the backyard, he could hear the infamous Stark family chatting happily.

      When Arya led him through the door and onto the deck, every eye turned towards them.

      Gendry blinked, shocked.

      Arya took a deep breath, not seeing him freeze behind her, and waved a hand at him. “Guys, this is my boyfriend.”

      “Gendry?” Theon asked, disbelieving.

      Arya’s head snapped up, her face paling. “What?”

      “ _Gendry_?” Robb repeated, mouth hanging open as his eyes darted between his friend and his sister. “You’re dating _Gendry_?”

      “You’ve been dating him for _four years_?” Theon’s voice was nearly a screech.

      “You’re dating Robert Baratheon’s son?” Her father asked, and Arya whipped her head around to stare at him, her eyes the size of saucers.

      “You’re dating my little sister?” Jon asked, dark eyes staring at Gendry.

      “You already know my family?” Arya whirled around to him, confusion and shock written all over her pretty face.

      “I…” Gendry was still at a loss. He blinked a few times and looked back out at the yard. He blinked some more. _Nope, they were all still there._ When he managed to find his voice, it sounded faint even to his ears. “In my defense, I didn’t know they were your family.”

      A bark startled them all, everyone turning to watch as the army of hounds came bounding up the yard. Gendry yelped when they rushed him, staggering and letting go of Arya so he could catch Nymeria, who launched herself at him. She licked at his face as Ghost and Lady pushed at his legs, trying to get his attention.

      He greeted all of the dogs, shushing them when they began getting too excited. Shaggydog and Grey Wind were the first to leave him be, when they realized he didn’t have any treats for them like he usually did. Summer and Lady allowed him to pet them a few more times before they wandered back into the yard also.

      Ghost and Nymeria, his two favorites, stayed behind, jumping on him. “Easy!” He laughed, shoving Ghost away as Nymeria circled him. “Get going, you two!” He shooed them both away, gently guiding them back towards the yard. Ghost licked Gendry’s hand before taking off, but Nymeria stayed behind, leaning against his leg.

      “Will someone _please_ tell me what the fuck is going on?” Arya asked, her voice raising in pitch. Gendry made his way back over to her, Nymeria hovering next to him like a shadow.

      “I met him in Starbucks years ago,” Robb started slowly, scratching at his beard. “He seemed like a nice guy and we were chatting while we waited.”

      “Yeah,” Theon nodded. “And I met him at a drugstore when Robb was dying of the plague. He helped me pick out medicine and I helped him pick out tampons—wait. Those were for you, weren’t they?”

      Arya blinked rapidly, weakly stating, “Robb was sick, and he had a car…”

      “We saw him at a football game,” Robb started back up, gesturing to himself, Theon, and Jon. “Invited him to come sit with us. We’ve been friends since.”

      “I met him in his shop,” Her father said. “I knew he was Robert’s son the first second I met him.”

      “Are you…” Gendry paused, swallowing. “Are you the reason he reached out to me?”

      Ned had the good graces to look abashed. “Yes, I was. I called him while you were working and told him. He had no idea you existed.”

      “Yeah, he told me.” Gendry said, blinking. “Thank you, by the way. Though I did have a panic attack after I met him.”

      “That was the day you cancelled on us, wasn’t it?” Theon asked. “The family emergency?”

      As Gendry was nodding, Sansa gasped, pointing at Arya. “You! He called you!”

      “Of course he did,” Arya said defensively. “I’m his girlfriend.”

      “That was the night you ran out of the house and took Robb’s car!” Sansa continued, looking proud for remembering.

      “He was freaking out,” Arya said, shrinking back into Gendry’s side. Gendry wrapped his arm around her, letting his thumb gently rub at her hip. She was stiff as a board, tense and nervous next to him. Nymeria leaned against his legs and he dropped a hand to her head. “I was worried.”

      “Hello, Gendry.” Catelyn said, waving a little when the yard went silent once more.

      “Ma’am.” Gendry waved back at her with his free hand, smiling sheepishly. Nymeria huffed when he stopped petting her. He buried his fingers back in her thick fur.

      “Your girlfriend had six dogs, hm?” Catelyn raised an eyebrow at him before she shook her head. “I should’ve known. You even mentioned Robb.”

      “Oh, come on!” Sansa whined. “Even mum has met him?”

      “Don’t feel bad, Sansa. I’ve never met him either.” Bran said, leaning back in his seat to look at Gendry. “I’m Bran, by the way.”

      “Nice to meet you.” Gendry said politely.

      “I ran into him at the store a few months ago,” Their mother said. “He was kind enough to help me carry four bags of dog food out to my car.”

      “They weighed more than she did!” Gendry laughed.

      “You look really familiar.” Rickon said, frowning.

      Gendry nodded his head at the youngest Stark, who was staring at him with a strange expression. “Hello, Rickon. You probably don’t remember me.”

      “You’ve met?” Catelyn asked, surprised.

      “It was years ago,” Gendry nodded. “Arya brought us over to cool off in the summer. We’d been having a footie scrimmage and we were boiling. We came to get water and Rickon was home with the dogs.”

      “Wait…” Rickon started slowly. He snapped his fingers after a moment. “You’re the guy who asked about embarrassing stories about Arya!”

      “That was me.” Gendry nodded, laughing.

      “So, just so we’re clear,” Sansa said, tone dry. “Bran and I are the only ones who’ve never met you?”

      “It would seem so.” Gendry smiled apologetically.

      Sansa huffed. “That’s not fair. Even the _dogs_ have met you.”

      “Well,” Ned said, flipping a burger on the grill. “This has certainly been an interesting turn of events.”

      “Indeed, it has.” Catelyn remarked.

      “Arya,” Jon called hesitantly. “Are you alright?”

      Gendry immediately shifted so he could see her face, noting the paleness of her skin and the slight tremor that was running through her body. “Arya?”

      “I…” Arya trailed off, mouth open. She stared up at Gendry, eyes pleading.

      “Why don’t we go inside for a minute?” He offered, bringing his hand up to the small of her back protectively. She nodded, unable to speak, and allowed him to guide her back into the house. Gendry could feel her family’s eyes on him as she led her into the living room, putting them out of sight.

      Nymeria’s nails clicked on the floor behind them as she followed.

      Gendry sat her down on the couch and crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his and peering up at her face. Nymeria laid down next to him on the floor, watching her master. Arya’s mouth opened and closed a few times. “I…” No more sound came out after that.

      “Take a breath, sweetheart.” He told her, his thumb stroking over the back of her hand. “I think you’re a bit overwhelmed right now.”

      “A bit?” She asked, incredulous. Her voice was high pitchy and croaky. “Try a lot.”

      “Okay,” Gendry nodded. “Talk to me.”

      “It’s just—I had this whole thing built up in my head about what I was going to say and then we walked out there, and they _knew_ you and they _loved_ you and I just—”

      “Breathe,” Gendry reminded her gently, concern filling him. “Arya, love, you gotta breathe.”

      Arya drew in a gasping breath, dropping her head so that her hair fell in face. “They already knew you and I feel so fucking stupid because I’ve been putting this off for so long because I was worried, and it was pointless, and I wasted time with you and I could’ve lost you all because I was being _dumb_ —”

      “Woah, woah,” Gendry tugged her off the couch and into his arms, cradling her against him. She clung to him, burying her face in his neck. “You were _never_ going to lose me, Arya. I swear it, by the old gods and the new.”

      “You would’ve gotten tired of it eventually,” She whispered into his neck and he panicked when he felt her crying. Nymeria whined and stood up, nosing at Arya’s arm. Her fingers shook as she threaded them through her dog’s coarse fur. “You would’ve left.”

      “Never.” He promised, hands sweeping up and down her back, his heart breaking a little.

      “Gendry, I’m so sorry.”

      “There’s nothing to apologize for, Arya.” He quieted her, kissing the side of her head. “C’mon, sweetheart, take a deep breath.” She took a deep breath and blew it out, the noise sounding shaky to both of their ears.

      “I’m such a mess.” Arya laughed wetly, pulling back to stare up at him. He cupped her face and kissed her softly, pulling back just enough to brush her tears off of her cheeks. Arya sniffled.

      “You’re my mess.” Gendry said. “But you don’t need to apologize for this, love. The same way you said I didn’t need to apologize for being weird with money, remember?”

      “This is different.” Arya started to protest.

      “No, it isn’t.” Gendry raised an eyebrow at her. “We both have our insecurities. Mine is money, yours is your family.”

      “I just feel so bad.” She whispered, closing her eyes and leaning her head into his hand. “I should’ve brought you over sooner.”

      “It’s okay that you didn’t.” He told her. “I love you and I would’ve waited as long as you needed me to.”

      “You’re too good to me.” Her grey eyes cracked open and blinked blearily up at him.

      “There’s no such thing.” He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her. She hugged him back tightly, clinging to him. “And for the record, I think it’s safe to say that I love your family and they love me too.”

      Arya laughed and pulled back, giving him a small smile. He was pleased to see that she’d stopped crying. “Yeah, I guess that’s a bonus.”

      They sat together on the floor for a bit, until Arya’s breathing had evened out. Gendry ended up sitting with his back against the couch, Arya tucked in between his legs. Nymeria had adjusted so that she could lay her massive head down in Arya’s lap, her presence soothing both of them.

      “You ready to go back out there?” He asked, grabbing her hand and loosely twining their fingers together after several minutes had passed.

      She nodded. “I think so.”

      “I love you.” Gendry reminded her.

      She looked at him, a soft expression flitting over her features. Her lips stretched into a full smile, her whole face lighting up. “I love you, too.”

      “C’mon, wolf-girl.” He tugged her upright, pulling her to her feet. Arya rolled her eyes at the nickname but allowed him to lead her to the backyard. Her family’s eyes snapped to them the second they stepped outside, no doubt cataloguing the way Arya was glued to Gendry’s side, tucked under his arm.

      They didn’t say anything about her red eyes.

      “Burgers are done.” Jon said after a beat, holding up a plate. Nymeria trotted over to Jon, sniffing the air around him before promptly sitting directly in front of him.

      Arya grinned. “I knew you were my favorite for a reason.”


	2. How Gendry Met the Starks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendry and Arya throughout the years.

+1 GENDRY:

            Gendry was seventeen years old when he first met Arya Stark.

            She’d been fourteen, slender and small in the way that most children were. He remembered watching her appear at the edge of the field, her grey eyes cataloguing the game he was involved in. She paid him no mind, her gaze locked on the ball they were kicking around, eyes darting across the field with every movement.

            He’d shrugged it off and resumed playing—it wasn’t uncommon for people in the park to stop and watch them play, especially girls. Usually, after a few moments of watching a bunch of sweaty, shirtless men running around, the girls would giggle and head off, waving goodbye to them as they did so.

            It had been a warm, Spring afternoon and the sun was shining high and proud in the sky when Lommy had scored on Hot Pie. As they were grumbling, getting back into position, Beric’s eyes had been drawn over Gendry’s shoulder, where the young girl was stepping onto the field, approaching them.

            “Mind if I join you?” She asked politely. Her voice was mid-toned, not too high, not too low. She stood casually, her hands tucked behind her back and her stance loose. Gendry noted that she was dressed perfectly for footie—good, well-worn running shoes, a pair of athletic shorts, and a comfortable looking shirt.

            “Uh…” Lommy’s eyes widened and he looked around their small group. They’d never had someone ask to join them before.

            “You’re playing uneven teams.” She commented lightly. Gendry was surprised that she’d noticed. There were nine of them out on the field, playing five on four. Though, with Sandor playing on Lommy’s team, it was practically six on four.

            “You don’t want to get dirty, like us.” Beric said slowly, gesturing to the rest of them. Gendry grimaced, glancing down at his chest. He was sweating like it was the dead of Summer, grass and mud sticking to him.

            “I don’t mind a little dirt.” She cocked her head to the side, frowning. It had been raining the last few days and the ground they were playing on was muddy and slick. Gendry noticed that she already had mud stains on the sides of her legs and her shoes were already dark brown.

            “You might get hurt.” Sandor said, raising an eyebrow at her. Even at nineteen, Sandor Clegane was well over six feet, his body thick and strong. The girl might’ve been five feet tall and probably weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet.  

            She scowled and shifted her stance, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting out a hip. She was young, but the tell-tale signs of maturity were just starting to appear on her body in the form of delicate curves. “I’ve played footie before, you know.” She drawled, looking unimpressed.

            “I don’t mind if she plays.” Gendry blurted out. All eyes turned to him, his friends looking appalled. She smirked at him and cocked an eyebrow at the others as if to say _see?_

            “We’re a lot bigger than you.” Lommy pointed out, grasping at straws. He was probably the smallest out of all of them, and he still towered over her.

            “Good, then you’ll be slower than me, too.” She fired back. Gendry barked out a laugh and covered it up with a cough when her eyes darted in his direction.

            “Look, it’s just not a game for girls.” Lommy finally snapped.

            Her face darkened, and Gendry took an involuntary step back, even though her rage wasn’t directed at him. “So, you think because I’m a girl, I can’t play footie?”

            “I…well…”

            “That’s incredibly sexist of you.” She cut him off, eyes narrowed. “I have five brothers, all about your ages and sizes, and _they_ don’t seem to mind if I play against them. Three of them are currently playing for Winterfell’s footie team and I don’t think I need to remind you that they’ve been the reigning champions for three years straight.”

            “I just—”

            “ _And_ ,” She continued like he hadn’t spoken. Gendry turned his head away to hide his laughter, biting at his lips to contain his grin. “It’s not like any of you are good enough to do any real damage to me, anyway.”

            “Why do you want to play then?” Hot Pie asked. Gendry wanted to slap him.

            “Thought it might be a good way to pass my time, enjoy the nice weather.” She said, still glaring.

            The field went silent and she stood there, arms still crossed over her chest. Lommy looked embarrassed at having been yelled at by someone half his size, but Sandor and Beric looked vaguely impressed. After a beat, Gendry cleared his throat. “I say we let her join. We could use someone aggressive on our team.”

            Her eyes snapped to meet his, assessing him. He straightened up subconsciously, puffing his chest out a bit. She searched his face for a moment before she nodded, once, and turned to the others. She raised an eyebrow at the rest of them. “Well?”

            “Fine.” Lommy muttered darkly.

            “Cheers.” She grinned. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and tossed it towards the edge of the field, where it slid out of bounds. He watched as she pulled a hair tie off of her wrist and started tying her hair back, coming to stand by him.

            “I’m Gendry,” He introduced himself as she neared. He gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry about them.”

            “Arya.” She told him, unbothered. “And don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.”

            “Still.” He told her. She seemed to understand what he was trying to say and gave him a small smile in thanks, turning her attention back to the field.

            It didn’t take long before she was completely dominating the game.

            Gendry wasn’t a bad player by any means—he was quick on his feet and he visualized plays quite well—but she was a beast. She had been right about their height—she was twice as fast as their best guy and her small frame made her harder to catch. She moved like a dancer, all languid motion and rapid steps.

            She was nimble and agile on her feet, and she moved the ball in ways Gendry had never seen before. It darted in between her legs and she somehow always managed to have control of it, looking at ease as she sprinted up the field, swerving to the side to avoid Sandor’s approaching figure.

            Three minutes in, she scored her first goal.

            Five minutes after that, she passed the ball to Gendry and he scored the next one.

            Arya scored three more goals in the span of fifteen minutes and suddenly the game was tied. Gendry high fived her after the fourth goal, grinning when he said, “If you’re going to keep playing like that, you’re always welcome on my team.”

            “I’ll keep that in mind.” She laughed but looked pleased.

            They ended up winning the game by two goals, five of them being scored by Arya. Lommy grumbled the whole way off the field, stomping back to the parking lot where his car was. Sandor and Beric shook Arya’s hand, congratulating her on a game well played. She looked particularly satisfied as she walked away from them.

            “You’re really good.” Hot Pie told her as she wandered over to where he and Gendry were standing, picking up their belongings from the sidelines.

            “Thank you.” She said, nodding. She grabbed her phone and stuffed it back in her pocket. She was caked in mud, covered from head to toe. She’d been doing relatively well at the start, only getting mud up to her knees as she ran, but she’d been blindsided by Sandor, who’d elbowed her and sent her sprawling directly into a mud puddle.

            The rest of them had frozen on the spot, unsure of what to do, because Arya was half Sandor’s size and she’d hit the ground hard. But Arya simply tucked and rolled, splashing mud up all around her as she popped back up to her feet, sprinting after the ball as if nothing had even happened.

            Gendry, Beric, and Sandor had all shared a look and grinned, taking off after her.

            “Are you gonna come back and play with us again?” Gendry found himself asking her as they started walking.

            She looked surprised. “Maybe.”

            Gendry gave her a smile. “Well, like I said, you’re always welcome on my team.”

            Arya eyed him, sizing him up for a moment, before the corners of her mouth tilted upwards and she held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. “Give me your phone.”

            “What for?” Gendry asked, but he was already dropping the device in her palm.

            “Text me the next time you all decide to play.” She told him, passing the phone back. He glanced down at his screen, eyes skimming over the digits of the new contact in his phone. He noticed that she’d put herself in as _Arya_ but left the last name space empty.

            “I will.” He nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Do you need a ride home?”

            “I don’t live far from here.” She said vaguely. “I walked.”

            “It’s getting a little late…” Gendry said, eyeing the horizon. He didn’t want to push her, but it was starting to get dark and he wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving her to walk home alone.

            She raised an eyebrow. “I do it nearly every day. I promise I’ll be fine. I’m small, but I can take care of myself.”

            “I have no doubt about that.” He told her, but there was still something uneasy festering in his chest at the thought of something happening to her. He was surprised by his body’s own protective reaction to her, and he wondered if it was merely because she was so young.

            “Aren’t you afraid of getting mugged? Or raped?” Hot Pie asked.

            Gendry whirled on him, gaping. “Seven hells, Hot Pie!”

            “I don’t live far,” Arya repeated, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Your concern, while annoying, is quite entertaining.”

            “I’m sorry about him. I told his mother to stop letting him outside.” Gendry apologized, cheeks pink.

            Arya barked out a laugh. “It’s alright. My brothers tried to follow me out here one night and they asked me pretty much the same thing.”

            “What did you say to them?” Gendry asked, curious.

            A delighted smirk pulled at her mouth. “I grabbed them by the ears and stomped them home to our mother, who smacked them over the head with a magazine.”

            Gendry laughed loudly. “Oh, I’m sure that was a sight.”

            “It was.” She nodded, grinning. She glanced back at the sky and sighed a little, taking a step back, heading in the direction of the trees surrounding the perimeter of the park. “I do need to get going, though.”

            “Will we see you around again?” Gendry asked, unable to stop himself. He took a half-step towards her, confused by the worry he was feeling. He hardly knew this girl and yet, somehow, the idea of never seeing her again made him genuinely sad.

            Arya turned back around, pondering. “Maybe.”

            With that, she nodded her head to them and turned back around, wandering straight into the trees and disappearing from sight. Gendry and Hot Pie stood there, watching her, before Hot Pie nudged his shoulder. “She’s scary.”

            “Aye.” He agreed. “I like her.”

            “Me too.” Hot Pie nodded.

            “We should go, too.” Gendry gestured towards the parking lot. He and Hot Pie started walking in that direction, both of them lost in their own heads. As they neared the car, Hot Pie spoke again.

            “Do you think she’ll come back?”

            Gendry thought for a moment, then nodded. “I do.”

            “What makes you so sure?”

            Gendry glanced back over his shoulder at the trees, smiling. “She seems like the kinda girl who likes a challenge.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            It was nearly a year later when Arya finally showed him where she lived.

            She still hadn’t told him her last name and he still didn’t know much about her, but he loved her fiercely. She was his best friend and closest companion, and he missed her desperately whenever she wasn’t around. He had learned pretty early on that he would do just about anything Arya asked him to do, if only to see her smile.

            He didn’t really know how she felt about him—Arya kept her emotions very carefully guarded, but he’d been slowly wearing her down—but a part of him knew she cared for him. She hit him whenever he did something stupid, but he always knew that it was coming from a place of concern, not anger.

            She laughed at his jokes and smiled around him more than anyone else, even though he knew she was comfortable with the other boys. She stayed close to his sides when they were in a group, never out of his sight, and whenever someone said something dumb, they would lock eyes and make faces at each other.

            So, when Hot Pie had nearly fainted on the field, she’d taken them to her house.

            They hadn’t known that’s where they were heading, not at first. They knew that she walked through the trees every night to get home, but they didn’t know how far away her house was. All Arya had said was, “I know a place we can get water,” and they’d followed her dutifully, Gendry keeping a close eye on Hot Pie’s breathing.

            They walked over a mile through the woods around the Winterfell park, not even on the various trails that wove through the trees. Fifteen minutes in to their hike, once the trees had started thinning, Gendry could make out what looked like another massive field on the other side of the tree line.

            “Where are we?” He asked her.

            She glanced at him and quickly looked away. “My house.”

            “What?” Gendry snapped his head around to stare at her.

            Arya wouldn’t meet his eyes as they cleared the trees. Gendry gazed up at the mansion, _her_ mansion, with its huge stone walls and impressive yard. There were six enormous hounds running around in the grass, and on the back porch, a young boy with a mane of curly auburn hair was fiddling with a video game.

            Several loud barks tore his attention away from who he assumed was Arya’s brother as the dogs finally noticed their presence. They took off, heading straight for them, and Gendry’s eyes widened as he stepped back. “Holy _shit_ , Arya.”

            “Hello, my loves!” Arya cooed once they reached her, the dogs swarming around her, yipping as they vied for her attention. She immediately lowered herself some to pet them, though they were nearly the size of her. A few jumped up and licked her face and others nudged her in every direction, making her stumble. “Hello—yes, I know, you’re very excited!”

            “What the fuck?” Gendry asked her, eyebrows raising. He’d never heard something so tender and cheerful come out of Arya’s mouth.

            “They’re gentle giants,” Arya turned and spoke to them, a smile still bright on her face. Her fingers never left the thick fur of the dog closest to her. “Come say hi. They won’t bite.”

            Gendry and Hot Pie exchanged a look, slowly moving forward. The dogs all turned to them, curious, and the one Arya had been petting trotted over to Hot Pie. “Nice doggy.” He whimpered. The dog reared back on its hind legs and put its paws on his shoulders. Hot Pie yelped, staggering.

            “Nymeria!” Arya chided. Gendry laughed along with her, enjoying the way Hot Pie went pale as the dog sniffed his face. The dog, Nymeria, finally released him and landed back on the ground with a soft _whump_. He was still laughing when she turned her dark gaze on him. The laughter died in his throat.

            Nymeria trotted over to him and sat down directly in front of him, staring up at him, waiting. He was frozen. He didn’t take his eyes off the dog, but still said, “Arya. It’s staring at me.”

            “ _Her_ name,” She emphasized as she pushed his shoulder lightly. “Is Nymeria, and she’s mine. She just wants you to pet her, dummy.”

            Gendry gave her a glare out of the corner of his eye, but slowly lifted his hand to let the massive hound sniff it. She did, nudging her wet nose into his palm and sniffing before she licked his fingers, her tongue surprisingly gentle. A grin flitted to his face and he let himself run his fingers through her soft fur.

            “Alright you lot, shoo.” Arya said, but her tone was happy. She waved her hands at the dogs and they trotted back into the yard, leaving them be. She led them up to the back of the house, calling out to her younger brother as they neared. The kid was young, maybe ten or so, and was eyeing him and Hot Pie curiously.

            Arya led them into their kitchen, whistling for the dogs after they’d stepped inside. He watched with wide eyes as they barreled inside, panting loudly as they passed him. Only Nymeria chose to stay in the kitchen with them, sitting in between him and Arya, who was at the fridge getting them water.

            He knew Arya’s family had money—they had to with a house this size—but the interior was just as lovely as the exterior. The kitchen had high ceilings and sleek grey countertops and was brimming with stoves and ovens and other machinery. He supposed with as many dogs as they had, they probably needed the space.

            He felt pressure against his leg and looked down to see Nymeria leaning heavily against him. Her head was nearly at his waist. He rubbed at the top of her head, staggering to the side when she leaned against him more, a small huff of laughter leaving his mouth. Arya handed him a glass and he took a large gulp.

            They chatted to her brother, Rickon, for a few moments, Gendry managing to pull a funny story about Arya out of the boy before she marched them out of the house, glaring at him. He was still snickering when they hit the trees. “Such a lady, Arya.”

            “Shut up.”

            “What did your mum think when she saw you?”

            Arya rolled her eyes. “She wasn’t surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised.” He tossed his head back and laughed at her again, grinning the whole way back to the training fields. True to her word, she kicked his ass again in their tiny footie match, smirking triumphantly when she shoved him straight into a puddle.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            “Gendry, please?”

            “You? Asking politely?” Gendry sighed, picking up his car keys. “Fine.”

            “Thank you!”

            “Yeah, yeah,” He huffed. “You owe me one, brat.”

            He honestly didn’t know why he even tried to be stern with her—he and Arya both knew that he would do anything for her. Her requests had been coming more frequently—food from the Chinese place down the road, a slushie from the gas station, ice cream from the parlor near his place.

            She had told him offhandedly one day that her eldest brother had finally been given a car. Gendry had snorted and asked her why she sent _him_ out all the time when someone in her house could do her bidding, but she shrugged and said that he was busy with the rest of her family and she didn’t want to bother him.

            Gendry had never minded doing things for her, not really, even though he always put up a fuss and pretended to be annoyed. He’d never admit it to her, but he liked the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when he’d bring her what she asked for, the way her smile would light up her whole face.

            She had him wrapped around her finger and she knew it.

            Arya grinned at him from her place on his couch, looking adorable in his King’s Landing rowing hoodie. She frequented his apartment nearly every day and had a habit of stealing his clothes when he wasn’t looking. Truthfully, he didn’t mind her taking them all that much—she always looked good in his clothes. 

            He made his way out to his car, which Arya had lovingly named Nymeria, and pulled out of his apartment complex, heading towards the Starbucks near Winterfell. It wasn’t far from his place, only a few minutes away, and he pulled into the lot, eyeing the drive-thru line with a scowl.

            He headed into the store, feeling awkward and out of place. He didn’t know how she knew, but his phone started ringing the moment he stepped inside. He plugged his headphones in and stepped in line, answering her FaceTime call. “Hello?”

            Her face popped up on the screen, looking bored. “You there yet?”

            He rolled his eyes and glanced up at the menu. “Arya, what the hell? I don’t know what any of this stuff is.”

            “It’s a coffee shop, Gendry.” She laughed.

            “What can I get you?” The cashier asked him.

            “Just a second,” He apologized, glancing down at Arya on his screen. “Okay, now what was it you wanted?”

            “A venti black tea.” She said carefully.

            He repeated the words back to her, narrowing his eyes. The order seemed simple enough, but he could never be too sure with Arya. “Is that it?”

            “Yep.” Arya popped the p.

            “A venti black tea?” The cashier was smiling at him, something knowing in her gaze. “Hot or iced?”

            “Did you hear that?” Gendry asked Arya.

            “I’m not deaf.” She rolled her eyes at him, snorting. She was toying with the strings of his hoodie and he was trying very hard not to stare. “And tell her iced, please.”

            He told the cashier her order and instructed her to put his name down, Arya squawking indignantly when she heard it. He grinned down at her, pleased. “You’re not the one paying for it, are you?”

            “I—well, I would—!”

            “Mhm, I didn’t think so.” He cut her off, smirking.

            “Asshole.” She muttered.

            He tossed his head back and laughed at her, moving out of the way when the cashier politely told him to wait for his order. He glanced back down at Arya, who was scowling at him. “Should be about ten minutes until I get there, think you can wait that long?”

            “If it’s any more than ten minutes, I’m eating all your food.” She threatened. “Don’t be late.”

            “Yes, _milady_ ,” He drawled, delighting in the way her eyes narrowed at him. “I know. Gods, you’re impatient. You’re lucky I like you.” Arya grunted on the other end of the line, but her cheeks looked faintly pink. “I’ll see you soon.”

            “Don’t be late!” She warned before ending the call.

            Gendry pulled his headphones out and looked up, startled to meet the gaze of a young man, who looked a bit embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping. He introduced himself as Robb and was a charming guy. Gendry thought he looked a bit familiar and briefly wondered if they’d ever met before.

            He chatted with Robb for a few moments until Robb’s order was ready, almost disappointed to watch him leave. When his order was done, he made his way to his car and sped back to his apartment, his eyes on the clock. He pushed the door to his flat open to find Arya with her hand in a bag of Reese’s Pieces.

            She smirked at him triumphantly. “You’re two minutes late.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            “Arya?” He answered the phone, frowning at the clock on his bedside table. It was just past midnight and she didn’t usually call him this late. “You okay?”

            “Gendry…” She sounded nervous.

            He sat up immediately. “What’s wrong?”

            “I… um…” She coughed and started again, rushing the words out. “I need you to run to the store and get me tampons.”

            He blinked, flushing. “Uh… is your brother not home?”

            “No, he is, but he’s really sick.” She said, and he could hear the embarrassment in her voice. “You’re the only other person I know who has a car and is awake.”

            “I—okay, yeah. I can go. I’ll leave now.” He said, sliding out of bed.

            “ _Thank you_ ,” She breathed in a rush. “I’m sorry, I know this is awkward, I thought I had more, but I _don’t_ and—”

            “Hey, hey,” Gendry cut her off, keeping his tone soothing. “You don’t need to apologize. It’s fine, I swear. I don’t mind.”

            “Thank you.” She said again, meekly.

            “I’ll be there soon.” He promised and hung up. He grabbed his keys and headed out of his apartment, driving straight to the nearest convenience store. He pulled into the lot and headed inside, searching up and down the aisles until he found the feminine hygiene section. The store was empty except for the other guy across the aisle from him.

            The two of them sat there in silence for a minute, both of them staring at their respective choices—Gendry’s wall of tampons and the guy’s row of medicine—before the guy introduced himself as Theon. He helped Theon find some cold medicine for his friend and in return, Theon recommended tampons for him to get for Arya.

            His face had never burned brighter than when he accidentally called Arya _his_ girl, and Theon was quick enough to catch it, grinning like the Cheshire cat as he teased him. They joked around and left the store together, Gendry’s bag filled with Arya’s things and bag of Reese’s Pieces for her to snack on.

            He drove to her house, parking on the street outside. They had a pretty long driveway, but it felt weird to park there. He didn’t want to ring the doorbell and wake up her family since it was almost one in the morning, so he pulled his phone out and called her, anxiously waiting for her to pick up.

            “Hello?” She answered.

            “I’m outside.” He told her.

            “Oh, thank the Seven.” Arya hung up on him and he saw the hall light flick on. He got out of his car, the bag held loosely in his fingers as the front door creaked open and she slipped out of the house and into the yard. As she moved towards him, he eyed her long, pale legs sticking out of—

            “Is that my shirt?” He cocked his head to the side, frowning.

            “What?” She glanced down. She was, in fact, wearing his shirt. It was a tank top he’d gotten at one of the first Winterfell games he ever attended, one that was baggy and loose and incredibly comfortable. Arya grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, it is.”

            “I’ve been looking for that, you know.” He raised an eyebrow at her. He couldn’t tell if she was wearing pants or not, but he didn’t want to get caught staring either way, she he forced himself to look at her face.

            “Sorry.” She said, not sounding sorry at all.

            He rolled his eyes and handed her the bag in his hands. “For you, milady.”

            “You’re a life saver.” She smiled up at him as she took the bag from him, her cheeks still a little pink. She grinned when she glanced inside. “Hey, these are perfect!”

            “Oh good,” He nodded. “Someone recommended those to me because I had _no_ idea what to get you.”

            “These are more comfortable,” She said, humming. “My sister and I always get this brand.”

            “Well, I’m glad I got the right one, then.” He smiled, pleased.

            She returned his smile, something soft and sweet in her gaze. “Thank you, again, Gendry. I know it’s kinda awkward, but I really appreciate it.”

            “Of course, Arya.” He told her. “I don’t mind at all. Seriously.”

            “Still,” She reached into the bag, pausing as she pulled out the bag of candy. She held it up for him to see. “What’s this?”

            He froze for a moment, unsure of how to answer. Finally, he cleared his throat and awkwardly said, “I thought you might… like them.” He finished lamely. He rubbed at the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

            “I… I mean, yeah, I do.” She raised an eyebrow at him, questioning.

            “I just—well, I don’t want to _assume_ —but whenever you’ve been… _you know_ before, you always like to eat mine when you’re at my apartment, so…” He trailed off, face burning.

            “Oh.” Arya was staring at him.

            He shifted from foot to foot, nervously tucking his hands in his pockets. “If you don’t want them—”

            “Shut up, Gendry.” She moved towards him, setting the bag down on the hood of his car and gripping the front of his shirt in her fist, dragging him down so she could crush her lips against his. He made a noise of surprise and yanked his hands out of his pockets, wrapping both arms around her waist and hauling her closer.

            As far as first kisses went, it wasn’t perfect. Arya had caught him off guard, her lips slightly off center, and he was still trying to figure out where to put his hands. She kissed with more determination than she did skill, and he was timid where she was bold. It was the best kiss he’d ever had.

            They were both panting when they pulled back, pupil blown wide.

            Arya’s grey eyes searched his and he watched as nervousness crept over her pretty face. She hesitantly tried to take a step back, but he didn’t let her get too far away. He tightened his hold on her, pulling her back against his chest. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was breathing heavily as she stared up at him.

            “That was new.” He said, letting one arm wrap around her waist. His other hand came up to her face, gently pushing dark strands of hair out of her eyes.

            “It was.” She licked her lips and he fought the urge to kiss her all over again. “Was it okay?”

            “More than okay.” He said, not missing a beat. “You?”

            “Yeah.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I didn’t ruin anything, did I?”

            “No,” He shook his head, cupping the side of her face in his palm. He wasn’t sure if Arya even knew what she was doing when she leaned into his hold. “I’ve liked you for a long time, Arya, but I was fine with being friends if that’s what you wanted.”

            “And if I wanted something else?” She asked, voice small. He wasn’t used to seeing her this timid, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He missed his beautiful, confident wolf-girl, with her sharp words and her quick wit.

            “I’ll give you anything you want, Arya. You know that.” He leaned forward, feeling bold, and pressed his lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes and tucked her head into his chest, letting him rest his chin on top of her head. “We can move as slowly or as quickly as you’d like.”

            “You’re too good to me.” She said quietly.

            “You deserve the world, Arya Stark.” He ran his fingers through her hair, silky strands brushing against his skin. He’d only known her for two and a half years, but his statement was one of the truest things he’d ever said.

            “Gendry.” She pulled back and stared up at him, determination filling her face once more. _There’s my girl._ “Kiss me again.”

            “As you wish, milady.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            The last place he expected to hear his name being called was a Winterfell Wolves game. He had spun around, eyes searching, before he found Robb and Theon waving at him from the stands. Disbelief had coursed through him as he approached them, carefully noting the third figure sitting with them.

            The other guy, Jon, as he’d introduced himself, was quieter than Robb and Theon, who were apparently friends, and listened intently as Gendry told him about how he’d met the other two. He liked the dynamic the three of them had and was slightly proud to see that he fit in nicely with them.

            He liked Jon a lot, despite having not been able to speak to him much, because he reminded him of Arya. He wondered briefly if he should try and introduce the two, and was pondering on asking him, when his phone rang. Arya’s name flashed on the screen and a smile immediately came to his face.

            “Hey love, what’s up?” He asked her.

            “Hi!” Theon shouted from next to him.

            Gendry shoved at him and Arya sniffled on the other end of the phone. His joking mood vanished, and he sat up. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

            “I’m going to fail because these assholes won’t fucking _help me,_ and I’ve already emailed Professor Mordane and _she’s_ being no help and everything’s just falling apart and I’m _crying_ like an _idiot—_ ”

            “Sweetheart, slow down.” He cut off her rambling, voice gentle. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

            “Sorry.” She muttered shyly.

            “Take a deep breath, love.” He instructed, pleased to hear her draw in a large breath. “There you go.”

            “I’m sorry to bother you, I know you’re out, but I don’t know what to do.” Arya said, and he could hear the tears and frustration in her voice. “My partners for this group project are refusing to do any work. I’m literally doing this whole thing by myself and if we fail this project, we fail the class.”

            “Did they say—”

            “They didn’t say anything,” Arya cut him off. “They won’t even speak to me. If I fail this class, I have to retake it, and that’ll push back my graduation plans. I’m only a freshman, but I don’t want to start my university career with a shit GPA.”

            “Okay.” He sighed. “Seven hells, honey, that’s fucking horrible. Do you want me to come home?” He was already climbing to his feet.

            “I don’t want to ruin your night.” She said timidly. He opened his mouth to protest, but Arya knew him well enough to know what he was about to say. “But I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

            “Yeah, of course, love, it’s no trouble.” He said, relieved that she had told him the truth. He would’ve gone home anyway, but that was beside the point. “I’ll be home in fifteen, okay?”

            “Okay,” She said, voice soft. “Thank you. I love you.”

            His heart thudded heavily in his chest at her words. Arya wasn’t an affectionate person in nature, but she was letting him see her emotional side more and more every day. His heart swelled every time she said those words to him and he knew he was completely gone on her. “I love you, too.”

            He turned to his new friends and waved goodbye to them, pleased when they were understanding. He practically sprinted to his car and sped home, making it home earlier than he said he would be. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open to his apartment, Arya curled up on the couch.

            She lifted her head when he entered, her eyes red and cheeks wet. She didn’t look to be actively crying anymore, but it physically pained him to see her upset. He closed the door and kicked his shoes off, instantly going to her side. She moved out of the way, allowing him to sit down next to her as crawled into his lap.

            She was wearing a pair of his sweatpants and one of his hoodies again, the material dwarfing her small frame. She’d grown up a lot in the four years that he’d known her, the traces of childhood long gone from her face. She was still small but had gentle curves where she’d been muscular and flat before.

            Her face had filled out more, her lips fuller and her face sharper, highlighting her large, wide eyes. She had grown a few more inches, but not much, and fit perfectly into his arms when she tucked herself into him. She rested her head on his shoulder, face pressed into his neck, and wound her arms around his middle.

            He instantly started rubbing her back, letting her calm down as much as she could. He pressed a kiss into her hair and laid his cheek on the top of her head, holding her. “What do you need?” He asked her, his voice low in the quiet of his apartment.

            “Talk to me,” She whispered. “About anything else. Please.”

            “I met these guys today,” He started. “I think you’d like them.”

            “You’re the only guy I like.” She grumbled back.

            He grinned. “I better be.”

            “Tell me about that new car you’re working on in the shop.” She said hesitantly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He turned his head and met her lips with his, giving her a soft kiss. When they pulled apart, she pressed her face back into his neck and told her about the Porsche that had been brought in to his store.

            As she listened, Arya relaxed more and more. Eventually, she stopped hiding and sat back enough to watch his face as he talked. He chatted at her for an hour before she kissed him in thanks and turned back to her work. Gendry helped her as much as he could and judging by the smile she gave him, she was grateful.

            Arya seemed reluctant to leave his side that night, but he knew her family would worry if she didn’t come home. He drove her back to her house that night, holding her hand as they drove. It was the most affectionate she’d been in a while and he wasn’t complaining in the slightest.

            Before she climbed out of the car, she gave him another lingering kiss.

            He grinned the whole way home.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            He was used to people underestimating him when they came into the shop. He wasn’t offended by it, not really, but it still hurt every once in a while. The man standing in front of him probably didn’t mean to be rude, but he was gaping at Gendry with his mouth hanging open like a fish.

            Gendry, admittedly, was also staring, because this man looked _exactly_ like Arya and Jon. He had the same nose as Arya, the same dark hair as Jon, and the same determined and calculating gaze that his girlfriend _and_ best friend both had. Jon’s dad was dead, and Gendry was suddenly wishing he knew Arya’s dad’s name.

            The guy was kind and polite, immediately apologizing for staring at him like he’d procured a third head. When he excused himself to go outside to make a call, Gendry took the opportunity to slip his phone out of his pocket, dialing Arya.

            “Aren’t you at work?” She answered on the third ring.

            “I am,” He admitted. He raised an eyebrow, despite the fact that she couldn’t see him. “Do you not want to talk to me?”

            “I’m waiting for my other suitors to call.” She replied loftily.

            He rolled his eyes, snickering. “As if you’d ever have any other suitors.”

            “Oi!” She squawked, offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            Gendry laughed. “You don’t like other people, Arya. You barely even like me. There’s no way you’d have other guys. You’d kill them.”

            Arya was quiet for a long time before she sighed. “Yeah, I guess you got me there.” He chuckled, and he could hear her smiling when she asked, “But what’s up? You don’t usually call when you’re at work.”

            “The strangest thing just happened here.” He started. “You’re never gonna believe this.”

            “What happened?” He could hear her sitting up, intrigued.

            “So, this guy walks into my shop, right, and—okay, first of all, he looks _exactly_ like you.” Gendry said. “I feel like I should mention that.”

            “Oh, really?” He could hear her smirking and knew what she was gonna say before she spoke. “You saying I look like a man, Waters?”

            “Oh, be quiet, you,” He huffed and grinned when he heard her husky laugh over the line. “So, _anyway_ , he walks in and I introduce myself to him and he just starts _staring at me_ , like I’ve got three heads or something.”

            “Maybe he was high, or something?”

            “I don’t think so.” Gendry shook his head. “He seemed fine when he first came in, but the moment he got a good look at me, he just gaped at me like I was bloody museum exhibit.”

            “Oh, no!” Arya laughed.

            “And I’m trying to talk to him and he just keep staring at me like he’s seen a ghost.” Gendry continued. “And I finally get this guy to start talking and he asks me what my name is.”

            “And?”

            “Arya, I wear a nametag.” He told her. “ _And_ I’ve already introduced myself! Then, this guy bloody asks me what my last name is!”

            “You’re kidding!” Arya was still laughing.

            “No, I’m not!” He shook his head. “He had the decency to look embarrassed and apologized profusely, but _man_ , I was trying so hard to remain professional.”

            “Is he still there?”

            Gendry glanced outside, watching as the man spoke to whoever he was on the phone with. “Yeah, he stepped outside for a minute. That’s why I called you.” He frowned when he watched the guy hang up the phone. “Actually, he’s hanging up now. I’m gonna have to go soon.”

            “That’s alright,” Arya told him. “Maybe he just wants you for your hot body.”

            “Arya!”

            “What?” She was grinning, and he could hear it in her voice. “That’s what I want you for. He’s probably looking at you and thinking, damn, I should get a piece of that.”

            Gendry laughed long and hard at her, delighted when Arya’s peals of laughter echoed his. “Sure, yeah, well, that’s just what you think.” Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the man approaching again, looking apologetic. He fought back disappointment and said to Arya, “I’ve got to go, love. I’ll see you tonight?”

            “You better.” She said, voice low.

            “I love you.” He told her.

            “I love you, too.”

            “Be good.”

            “Am I ever?” She asked and hung up.

            Later that night, when he got home from work, she was waiting for him in his living room, eyes dark and wide when he came in. She kissed him greedily when he came through the door and he grinned into it, loving the way she clung to him. He scooped her up over his shoulder, ignoring her protests.

            They curled up together on the couch, just enjoying each other’s company for the rest of the night before it was time for him to take her home. He drove her to her house and she kissed him goodnight before slipping out of the car and up her long driveway. He watched her until she made it inside, driving home with a smile on his face.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            Robert Baratheon was fat, uncouth, and apparently, his father.

            Gendry had received an email, of all things, telling him that there was a possibility that Robert Baratheon, Joffrey Lannister’s father, was also possibly _his_ father. Gendry had laughed at it initially and deleted the message immediately, thinking it to be a prank. But then Robert had shown up in the shop a few weeks later, looking uncomfortable.

            The resemblance was uncanny.

            Of course, Gendry was leaner and younger, but they had the same dark hair and blue eyes. They also probably had the same bone structure too, but it was hard to tell with Robert’s double chin and protruding gut. He had an abrasive demeanor and his eyes judged Gendry and his shop. Despite all that, Gendry could tell he was at least trying to be polite.

            They parted ways later that night, Gendry wandering out of his shop in a daze. He made it all the way back to the apartment, sitting down on the couch without even realizing it. He stared into space for a long time, his eyes unseeing, before he pulled out his phone and dialed Arya’s number.

            “Hello?” She answered, laughing.

            “I just met my father.” He told her. His voice came out high pitched and panicked. “Arya, I just met my fucking _father_. He came into my shop and he said I was his son and I didn’t believe him at first but _fuck_ he looked just like me and—”

            “Wait, wait,” Arya cut him off, sounding incredulous. “Slow down. Back up. _What_?”

            “My father, Arya. I met my father.” He repeated.

            “You’re fucking kidding me.” She said and he knew her eyes were as wide as saucers. “Your _father—_ what? How do you know?”

            “He looked _exactly like me_ , Arya.” He rubbed at his eyes. “He had my eyes and my hair and—and he had a picture of my mother with him.”

            “Seven fucking hells,” Arya exhaled. “Are you alrigh—”

            “I don’t think so.” Gendry cut her off before she was even finished speaking, breathing fast and heavy.

            “I’ll be over soon.” She said immediately. “Take a deep breath.” Her tone was lighter than it had been before, and he was grateful for it. He did as she instructed, sucking in a few long breaths. “None of your business.”

            Gendry frowned. “What?”

            “What?” She parroted back at him. “No, not you. My brother is being nosy.”

            “Oh.”

            “I’m leaving my house now.” She promised, and he could hear her moving around. “I’ll be there soon, okay?”

            “Thank you.” He said softly. “I love you so much, Arya.”

            “Yeah, you too, you idiot,” She chided gently, her voice soft. “I’m on my way.”

            “I’ll see you in a bit.” He said, hanging up. He sat back on his couch, blowing out a long breath. He stared up at the ceiling for what felt like a few seconds, but must’ve been nearly fifteen minutes, because when Arya pushed the door open, it scared him half to death.

            “Hey,” She greeted, kicking her shoes off. She looked worried, dark eyebrows furrowed, as she came to slide onto the couch next to him. She immediately ran her fingers over his arms and he relaxed at her touch. “How are you doing?”

            “I don’t know.” He told her honestly. “I feel weird.”

            “Was it bad?” She asked, lightly running her fingers through his hair.

            He thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. He wasn’t what I expected, but he was making an effort, at least. He gave me this.” He pulled the photo out of his pocket and passed it to Arya, who carefully took it between her fingers. His mother’s smiling face stared back up at them.

            It was obviously an older photo, one taken well before Gendry was born, based on the quality and clothing. The picture was well-worn and slightly crinkled around the edges, as if it had been in a wallet for some time. Arya traced his mother’s face with her pointer finger. “She’s beautiful.”

            “Yeah, she _was_.” Gendry swallowed. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like crying, and couldn’t stop the tears from welling in his eyes.

            Arya must’ve heard something in his voice, because she glanced up and her face fell. “Sweetheart, come here.” She murmured, and he fell into her chest, sobbing against her neck. Arya ran her fingers through his short hair, gently soothing him as he started to shake. She held on to him until he stopped trembling.

            “I’m don’t know why I’m crying.” He croaked into her shirt, spent.

            “It’s a lot to take in.” She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. “I’d be more surprised if you had no reaction at all.”

            “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.” He told her. “Do I let him into my life? Do I ignore him?”

            “You’re the only person who can answer those questions.” She reminded him. “I wish I could tell you the answer, Gendry—I really do. But this is your decision to make, and no matter what you decide, I’ll stand by you.”

            “I know you will.” He leaned up to kiss her cheek. “Thank you.”

            “You don’t have to thank me.” She shushed. “You would do it for me in a heartbeat.”

            “I don’t think I want to cut him out of my life entirely,” Gendry confessed. “But I don’t want to rely on him for anything, either. I’ve been on my own since I was four and I can take care of myself. I’m sorry, I know this probably isn’t how you wanted to spend your night.”

            “Don’t apologize.” She kissed the top of his head. “How are you feeling now?”

            “Tired,” He admitted. “A little embarrassed.”

            “Gendry,” She said, and his chest filled with warmth at the sound of his name coming out of her mouth. “We’ve been dating for two years and we were friends long before. You’ve done much more embarrassing things than cry about your dead mother and your absentee father.”

            He choked on a laugh and sat up, meeting her eyes gratefully. Her eyes were darting over his face, making sure he was alright. He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to it. “I’m okay, love,” He reassured her, noticing the way her shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.”

            “I’ve got your back,” She told him solemnly. “Just like you’ve got mine.”

            “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He told her honestly.

            Her cheeks pinked, but she rolled her eyes playfully. “Probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere.”

            “Probably.” He grinned. “I should stick close to you then, I guess.”

            “Yes, you should.” She nodded, smiling.

            “Don’t worry, I intend to.” He leaned forward and gave her a sweet kiss, silently thanking her. Arya seemed to understand because she squeezed his fingers and rested her forehead against his. He opened his eyes, gently touching the side of her face, smiling. “You’re never getting rid of me.”

            Arya smiled. “I guess I can live with that.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

           

            Gendry felt bad for staring, but the scene in front of him was a little funny.

            The woman in front of him was tall and lithe, with dark auburn hair that looked strikingly like Robb’s. She was staring at the massive bags of food that Arya’s family bought, a frown on her pretty face. He watched her sigh and grab at the corner of one of the bags, pulling it to the edge of the counter. He cleared his throat when he saw her preparing to hoist it.

            She whirled around, startled, and he gave her an apologetic smile. She had big blue eyes, hers far paler than his were, and round cheeks. “I’m sorry to startle you, ma’am.” He said, making sure to keep his voice polite. “Would you like some help with that?”

            “Thank the Seven, _yes_ ,” She practically shouted at him. He tried to hide his laughter as a quiet cough. He introduced himself to her, never catching her name, but giving his nonetheless. He hefted the bags of dog food into the empty cart for her, ignoring the way she was eyeing him curiously.

            He immediately liked her snarky nature, genuinely loving the conversation they had. She had a confidant aura about her, the way most adults do, but her gaze was kind, if not a little intimidating. She reminded him of Robb more and more every time she spoke, and he could picture the two of them standing side by side.

            He openly laughed when she made the comment about praying for Arya’s mother, silently agreeing with her. He adored Arya’s dogs and would do anything for them, but he couldn’t imagine having six at one time. They chatted for a few moments and he escorted her to the front, scanning her bags for her.

            He frowned when she paid for his items, the age-old sting of embarrassment flaring up in him, but he pushed it aside. Arya had drilled it into him that the circumstances he’d been in as a child weren’t his fault. In truth, he was financially stable, and money was no longer an issue, but he still got uncomfortable receiving gifts.

            He kindly accepted her gesture nonetheless, helping her pack her things into his car and waving goodbye to her and he headed for his. He called Arya on his drive home, still feeling a little anxious. “Hey honey.” He greeted her when she answered.

            “What’s up, love?” She asked.

            “I just…” He paused. “I don’t know. I need you to tell me I’m being an idiot.”

            “You’re being an idiot.”

            “Thanks.” He said drily.

            She chuckled. “What’s going on?”

            “I went to the store to pick up treats for Nymeria—”

            “Gendry!” Arya whined. “We’ve talked about this! She’s going to get fat if you keep giving her those!”

            “I love her, and she actually lets me spoil her unlike _someone_ I know.” Gendry said, picturing her disgruntled face in his head. The image was enough to make him laugh.

            Arya huffed. “Fine, but when she gets fat, it’s your fault.”

            “ _Anyway_ ,” Gendry said deliberately, grinning. “I met this woman in the store—”

            “She didn’t hit on you, did she?”

            “What? No. Seven hells, Arya, let me finish.” He grumbled. 

            “Sorry.”

            “As I was saying,” He started back up again. “I met this woman in the store and she was really nice. I helped her pick up dog food—she actually uses the same brand you guys do—because she was small and couldn’t really carry it, so I helped her out.”

            “Okay…” Arya said warily.

            “And when got up to the counter, she paid for my things.”

            “And?”

            “And… I don’t know!” He groaned. “I know she was just trying to be nice, but it made me feel weird.”

            Arya understood immediately. Her tone gentled when she spoke next. “Honey, what did I tell you about that?”

            “I know, I know,” He sighed. “I just… I still get embarrassed about it.”

            “I understand,” She said, and he knew that she truly did. “But you’ve got nothing to be embarrassed for. She was probably just grateful that you helped her out and wanted to do something kind for you. She would’ve done it for anyone helping her out.”

            “You’re right.” He said, the knot in his chest loosening some. “That was what I needed to hear. Thank you.”

            “Of course.” She shifted. “Are you on your way home?”

            “Yeah,” He glanced out the window. “I should be home in like, five minutes.”

            “Okay, sounds good. I’ll see you then?”

            “Yeah,” He nodded, even though she couldn’t see. “Thank you, again, Arya.”

            She was quiet for a moment before she said, “You don’t need to thank me, Gendry. You know I’m here for you.”

            “I know you are.” He said. “I love you.”

            “I love you, too.”

            “I’ll be home in a few minutes.”

            “I’ll be waiting.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            He watched the clock, his fingers hovering over Arya’s name in his phone. The second the numbers changed, he pressed the dial button and waited for her to answer. She was already laughing when she answered. “Gendry—”

            “Happy birthday, my love.” He cut her off.

            “Thank you,” She said, and he could hear the shyness in her voice. Her birthday was one of the few days that she’d let him be super affectionate with her. She still wasn’t fully comfortable with him pampering her, but she got better with it every day. “You’re sweet to call.”

            “Of course,” He scoffed lightly. “I’d never miss your birthday.”

            He settled in on his couch, letting Arya’s husky voice wash over him as they talked. Their conversation had started innocently enough, gently ribbing each other and Arya spoiling the end of the footie match he was watching on the television. Things started changing when Arya’s voice got quieter.

            “Gendry?”

            “Hm?” He hummed, eyes on the game. _Jaime Lannister scores! The Kingsguard wins!_

            “I want you to meet my family today.” He sucked in a harsh breath at her words, stunned. He couldn’t find the words to speak, staring at the wall in shock. Arya had _never_ asked him to meet her family before. “Honey?”

            “Sorry,” He croaked. “I’m here.”

            He could hear her getting more and more nervous as their conversation carried on, Arya’s voice becoming more self-conscious with every word she said. He tried to be as reassuring as possible, reminding her that he had always been willing to meet her family, but he knew she was still stressed out about the whole thing.

            Over the years, he’d learned to stop asking about her family. She loved them desperately, but there was a separation between them that she couldn’t get through. She’d been so independent as a kid, growing up alone and isolated, that her family no longer knew how to behave around her.

            He knew her family was massive, but he didn’t know hardly anything about them. He didn’t know her parents’ names but knew that she had a brother named Jon that she loved dearly and that her sister’s name was Sansa. He had met Rickon the one time but knew nothing about the other three.

            Arya only ever referred to them as _my brother_ or _my brother’s friend_. At first, he’d been a little peeved that she was so tight-lipped about her personal life, but he grew to understand that it was her way of protecting herself. She knew she didn’t need to protect herself from _him_ , but it was a hard habit to shake.

            And truthfully, as long as he had Arya, he didn’t care about anything else.

            They stayed up, talking for another hour or so before she stared getting tired. He sent her to sleep and hung up the phone, laying down in his own bed and staring at the ceiling, a smile reaching his face at the thought of finally being introduced as Arya’s boyfriend to the people she was closest to besides him.

            Later, when it was a more reasonable hour, Arya texted him a time to show up at the house. He spent the whole day staring at the clock, watching time tick further and further away. He got dressed half an hour early, putting on a pair of nice jeans and one of his nicer shirts, throwing his leather jacket on overtop because he knew Arya loved it.

            He tucked her birthday present into his pocket and left his apartment.

            He drove over to her house, body coursing with nerves and excitement the whole way there. He pulled into her driveway and parked the car, taking a moment to breathe. Arya stepped onto the porch as he was climbing out of the car, wearing his tank top and a comfortable pair of jeans. She looked jittery as he made his way up to her.

            He kissed her when he reached her, murmuring, “Happy birthday,” against her lips.

            “You already wished me a happy birthday.” She reminded him. Arya leaned into him, practically falling into his chest as he wrapped himself around her.

            He held her for a moment, kissing the top of her head. “I know, but I wanted to say it again, in person.”

            “Well, thank you.”

            “You ready for this?” He asked, combing his fingers through her soft hair.

            “I told them you were coming this morning. They’re anxious to meet you.” She told him, and something settled in his chest.

            He gave her another quick kiss. “It’s going to be alright, Arya, I promise.”

            “Okay,” She nodded. “Let’s do this.”

            “After you, love.” He took her hand and allowed her to lead him through the house he’d grown familiar with over the years. As they neared the back, he could hear her family chattering excitedly. Arya slid the back door open and they stepped on to the deck and Gendry allowed himself to look at her family.

            He blinked.

            He blinked again.

            He saw Jon first, standing in the yard next to Robb and Theon.

            There was a brief second where he wanted to laugh— _Arya knew Jon, Robb, and Theon too!_ —but it quickly dissipated as things started clicking. Arya had a brother named Jon. Jon had a younger sister that he adored. They both had the same dark hair, the same unwavering eyes, and the same demeanor.

            Arya had brothers that played footie. Robb, Jon, and Theon all played on the Winterfell footie team. Gendry had spent days wondering why Robb had looked so familiar to him, only to realize that it was because Robb had looked similar to Arya’s youngest brother, Rickon, who had the same curly, auburn hair and blue eyes.

            Theon had mentioned that he and his mates, who Gendry now knew to be Jon and Robb, went on tampon runs all the time for their younger sisters. Theon had recommended the exact type Arya preferred, down to the sizing and brand. He’d even mentioned Arya’s obsession with Reese’s Pieces.

            _Oh no._

            “Guys, this is my boyfriend.”

            _Oh, NO._

            “Gendry?” Theon’s incredulous question came.

            “What?” Arya’s head lifted.

            “ _Gendry_?” Robb asked, his mouth gaping open, eyes darting between him and Arya, who was clutching at his hand. Gendry was pretty sure he was gonna pass out. “You’re dating _Gendry_?”

            “You’ve been dating him for _four years_?” Theon yelled, sounding appalled.

            “You’re dating Robert Baratheon’s son?” Gendry’s head snapped around to the man standing at the grill. He’d never told Arya his father’s name. The man from the shop—the one who’d been staring at him weirdly _because he had recognized him, holy fuck_ —gaped back at Gendry, his eyebrows in his hairline.

            _Oh gods._

            “You’re dating my little sister?” Jon asked, dark eyes narrowing at Gendry.

            _Seven help me._

            “You already know my family?” Arya whirled around to face him, confusion and shock clear on her face.

            “I…” Gendry wasn’t really sure what to do. Even the woman in the deck chair— _the woman who needed dog food, good gods—_ stared back at him in surprise. He looked around the yard, his best friends watching him in disbelief and his girlfriend clutching his hand hard enough to bruise. Finally, he croaked out, “In my defense, I didn’t know they were your family.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            After the initial shock of the night had worn off, Gendry had settled in nicely at the Stark household. Catelyn and Ned, Arya’s parents, had been incredibly kind and welcoming towards him. Jon, Robb, and Theon had stared at him like they had never seen him before, but he’d just shrugged awkwardly, and they burst into laughter together.

            Rickon watched him like a hawk, his gaze curious but friendly. Bran and Sansa, the only two he hadn’t met yet, were charming and quiet, polite in the way the other Starks weren’t. Bran had a slightly snarky attitude that Gendry loved, and Sansa was the polar opposite of her sister, but Gendry still found himself enjoying her company.

            The dogs seemed excited to see him as well, rushing up to him every time he moved. He greeted them exactly the same way Arya had the first time he’d met them—cooing sweetly at them and ruffling their fur, accepting the kisses the left all over his face and body. Arya snickered whenever he wiped his hand on his pants to dislodge the drool.

            He ended up getting dragged into a Stark family footie match, the second one of the evening, he learned, as the teams were even for the first time ever. Arya refused to play on his team, but allowed him to play with Jon, Robb, Theon, and Rickon, who were very talented players. Arya carried her team, letting Catelyn, Ned, Sansa, and Bran, take defensive roles.

            Gendry quickly found that Arya played dirty, even in a friendly, family competition.

            She threw elbows and shoved people aside, her face twisted into a vicious smile. Her brothers played just as dirty, using their height and weight to push her around. Even the more mild-mannered Starks, like Catelyn, Sansa, and Bran, played with a violent determination. Gendry loved every second of it.

            The game was aggressive and rough and so much fun. It was made harder by the dogs interjecting at every turn. They ran alongside them, tripping them up when they suddenly stopped. Gendry even had to shoo Lady and Nymeria away from him when he was chasing Arya, the dogs following him dutifully regardless.

            Arya scored the first goal of the game, whizzing one past Theon. Rickon scored next, his long legs giving him the advantage against his mother. Gendry had the third goal, managing to twirl around Arya and blister one into the top corner. Arya scored the next two goals, gloating happily when she nailed Theon in the crotch on “accident.”

            They played for over an hour, the game getting more and more brutal as the minutes ticked by. There had been a scare when Ned had shoved at Robb and caught him in the nose, nearly giving him a nosebleed. Bran was sporting a cut on his leg, Sansa had mud on her knees, and everyone else was in varying states of disarray.

            Gendry had been shoved to the ground by Arya three times already, but the fourth time she came by him, smirk in place, he was ready for her. He caught her elbow that she was aiming at his stomach and _pulled_ , lifting her up off the ground. He slid his arms around her waist and hefted her in the air.

            “Gendry!” She shrieked, kicking out as Rickon whizzed by, kicking the ball back up the field to Robb. Gendry set Arya down on the ground, holding her close to him so he could press a kiss to her mouth. She swatted at him half-heartedly, lazing pushing at his chest, but she was grinning when they pulled apart.

            When they turned back around, all of the Starks were watching them.

            Catelyn and Ned had sweet smiles on their faces, expressions soft. Rickon looked confused, if not a little curious. Sansa was openly grinning, her pretty face lit up joyfully. Bran looked happy, the corners of his mouth canting upwards. Theon, Jon, and Robb all looked vaguely uncomfortable, halfway between grinning and glaring.

            Gendry flushed under their gaze.

            “What are you lot looking at?” Arya quirked a brow and took off running down the field.

            Everyone kicked back into gear at that, the moment broken. Arya’s team ended up winning by one goal and she had cheered triumphantly when Catelyn announced that it was time for presents, signaling the end of the match. Robb pushed at her shoulder as they headed up towards the house. “Oh hush, you cheater.”

            “I’m not a cheater,” She crowed. “I’m just better than you.”

            “Gendry, come get your girlfriend.” Robb whined, tone teasing.

            “She’s your sister.” Gendry reminded him, but he made a move for Arya anyway. He scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder easily, smacking the back of her thigh.

            “Gendry, let me down!” She slapped at his back, but she was laughing. He set her down, pleased when she swayed closer to him, taking his hand as they walked. He took a moment to observe her, warmth pooling in his chest at the happy, relaxed look on her face.

            “Are you having a good birthday, love?” He asked her, voice low as they walked back up to the house.

            She turned to him, her smile bright. “The best.”

            “Good.” He kissed her forehead.

            “Gross!” Jon wailed from behind them.

            “Get used to it!” Arya called back, still beaming. They all gathered around the Starks massive outdoor table, settling in around Arya, who sat at the head. Catelyn started shoving presents in Arya’s direction and she begrudgingly accepted them, tearing off the paper and tossing it into the trash-bag Ned pulled out of nowhere.

            Sansa had gifted Arya with a new pair of combat boots, Arya’s old ones worn down and caked in mud. Arya had laughed delightedly when she saw them, thanking her sister before she gently set the box on the ground beside her. Bran had procured her a brand-new copy of _Nymeria_ , signed by the author.

            She’d squealed when she saw it, launching herself out of her chair to hug him. Bran had laughed, blushing slightly as Arya sat back down. Robb, Rickon, and Theon had pooled money together to get her tickets to see Arya’s favorite hockey team, the Winterfell Direwolves, play in a playoff game next month.

            She’d high-fived them all, grinning from each to ear.

            Jon had gotten her a Direwolves jersey signed by Nymeria Dorne, Arya’s biggest hero. Arya had held the fabric between her fingers, hands shaking as she stared at Jon, wide eyed. Gendry was a little worried that she’d pass out, but instead, she sprung out of her chair and tackled Jon, sending both of them sprawling on the concrete.

            “Ouch, Arya.” Jon groaned, Arya still laying on top of him. “You’re not little anymore, you know.”

            “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!” She kissed his face several times. Jon laughed and gave her a tight squeeze before they both climbed back into their seats. Arya was practically vibrating next to him when she sat back down, the grin on her face vibrant and beautiful. Only her parents were left.

            “We thought about what to get you for a long time.” Catelyn told Arya, pulling an envelope out of thin air. “You’re tricky to shop for.”

            “We hope you like it.” Ned added.

            Arya cocked her head but accepted the envelope. She opened the seal and pulled out the card inside, reading over it carefully. Gendry peeked at the card, reading the script font. _Happy twenty-first birthday, Arya. Don’t forget to come home._ Gendry frowned at the words but watched as Arya pulled the gift out.

            She froze when she read the words on the page. “You didn’t.”

            “We did.” Ned said.

            “What is it?” Sansa asked, craning her neck.

            “Plane tickets to Braavos.” Gendry said, blinking in shock. “Two of them.”

            “We weren’t entirely comfortable with Arya going alone.” Catelyn explained. “But we figured she could take a friend with her. Or a boyfriend, I guess.” Catelyn winked at him.

            “I…” Arya trailed off, still staring. “Mum… dad…”

            “Take them, Arya.” Ned said, standing up to ruffle his youngest daughter’s hair. “You’ve wanted to go since you were a little girl.”

            “I don’t know what to say.” Arya croaked, her voice wobbly.

            “Thank you.” Gendry whispered to her.

            “ _Thank you_.” She stood up and tugged her dad into a tight hug. Catelyn stood up and they opened their arms for her. Gendry ignored the burning in his eyes and pretended not to hear Arya sniffling. She wiped her eyes hastily when she sat back down and cleared her throat, turning to him. “And what do you have for me?”

            She was aiming for casual and missed by a mile. Her cheeks were pink and wet, her eyes ringed with red. He thought that even like this, splotchy and upset, she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Then her words caught up with him. “Oh. Um. Well, I was going to give it to you later, actually.”

            “ _Gross!_ ” Jon shouted.

            “Gendry!” Robb yelled, making a move to stand up.

            “No, not like that!” Gendry flapped his arms, face flaming. Robb narrowed his eyes at him but sat back down slowly. “I just—I didn’t know if this was the time or place.”

            “Do you have it with you?” Arya asked, her gaze darting all over him as if she was trying to find it hidden on him.

            Gendry swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Yeah.”

            “Then give it.” She demanded, holding out a hand.

            “Arya, um, are you sure—”

            “Yes.”

            “But maybe we should—”

            “ _Gendry_.”

            “Fine.” He leaned around her and reached into his jacket, which was resting lightly on the back of her chair. He pulled the tiny box out and let her see it. Her grey eyes immediately went wide, and Arya froze. He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You asked for it.”

            “Gendry.” Her voice was shaking.

            “Arya Stark.” He said, sliding off the chair and down onto one knee. A single tear slid down her cheeks and stained her— _his—_ shirt as she lifted a hand over her mouth. Around the table, the other Starks gasped in surprise, everyone standing to watch.

            “Oh my _gods_.” Catelyn whispered.

            “I met you when you were a skinny little shit,” Gendry continued, refusing to look away from Arya’s shocked eyes. “You were aggressive and abrasive, and I loved you from the moment I met you. You were my best friend and the most important person in my world the moment you stormed into my life.

            “Over the last seven years, I have gone from being your begrudging acquaintance, to your friend, your _best_ friend, your confidante, and now your boyfriend. I have seen every version of you, and there’s not a single one I don’t love with every fiber of my soul. I have seen you so mad that scream and hit things. I’ve seen you sob until you pass out.

            “I’ve seen you so elated with joy that I feel like my whole chest could burst at seeing you so happy. Watching you cry is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and watching you smile is the greatest feeling in the world. I want to be by your side through everything that you do. I want to be there when you graduate.

            “I want to be there when you head to Braavos. I want to be there when you get your first big-girl job, your first apartment, your first everything. I just want to be with _you_. I promised you that you’d never get rid of me, and I’m trying to keep my promise to you. So, Arya Stark, the love of my life, will you marry me?”

            He popped the box open, displaying the beautiful diamond ring that he’d picked out for her months ago. He’s spent nearly a year agonizing over the design and shape, going to nearly every shop in Westeros until he found the right one. It was a simple ring and the diamond wasn’t too flashy, but it was very clearly an engagement ring.

            Arya’s breathing had gone ragged and tears were still streaming down her face. Her eyes finally dropped from his face to the box in his hands, looking at the ring. She hiccupped as she tried to catch her breath, eyes snapping back up to his face. She stared at him for a long time, looking gobsmacked.

            Then, she flew out of her chair and threw her arms around him, knocking them both to the ground. Gendry dropped the ring box in his scramble to catch her, smacking his head hard against the pavement the same way Jon had earlier. Arya was still wrapped tightly around him, crying into his neck.

            Nymeria trotted over, sniffing at Arya in concern. She pressed her nose into Arya’s hair and Arya gave a wet laugh and flinched when Nymeria licked her ear. Nymeria turned to Gendry, questioning, and he gave her a weak smile that she seemed to understand. She licked his cheek gently before stepping back.

            He wrapped one arm around Arya’s waist and cradled the back of her head with his other hand, finally letting himself look at the rest of the Stark family. Catelyn and Sansa were openly weeping, looking so happy that it almost hurt to look at them. Ned Stark was crying silently, the smile on his face so wide that it must’ve hurt.

            Rickon and Bran were watching their sister, serene looks on their face as they smiled down at them. Theon seemed to be fighting his own happy smirk, biting into his fist. Jon and Robb looked on proudly, eyes shining, as Gendry gently shifted Arya upwards so she was straddling his lap and he was sitting up.

            She pulled back and gazed at him, looking so in awe that he couldn’t help but cup her face. Her skin was hot to the touch, cheeks violently red and face streaked with tears. His thumbs swiped across her cheeks, gently wiping her tears away. Arya sniffled and leaned into his hands, still staring at him.

            “Arya.” He said quietly, smiling a little.

            “Hm?” She hummed, reaching up to wrap her fingers loosely around his wrist, holding him in place. He wasn’t even sure if she knew she was doing it.

            “You… um… you didn’t answer my question.” He reminded her gently.

            She blinked, as if she’d forgotten. She rolled her eyes so hard he thought they’d fly out of her head and hissed, “ _Yes_ , you idiot!”

            Gendry beamed, yanking her towards him and kissing her hard. The Stark family exploded into cheers behind them and Gendry could feel Arya smiling against his mouth. He grinned too, letting the kiss turn gentle and soft, brushing his nose lightly against hers when he pulled back.

            They were both grinning from ear to ear when they sat back, clutching at each other.

            They only had a second of peace before the Starks were on them, Robb and Jon tackling them sideways. Gendry squawked when Jon elbowed him in the crotch and Arya grunted when Robb kneed her in the side. They were all roughly pulled to their feet by Sansa and Ned, who both hugged him hard enough to hurt.

            “I’m so excited for you both!” Sansa proclaimed, her cheeks pink with happiness as she squeezed his arms.

            Ned hugged him, leaning in to Gendry’s ear and whispering, “Seems like you don’t have to worry about her saying no out of spite, hm?” Gendry barked out a laugh as Ned pulled back, clapping him on the back. Ned smiled at him, gently touching the side of his face. “Welcome to the family, Gendry.”

            “Thank you, sir.” Gendry said, fighting back the tears at his eyes.

            “Ned.” Ned corrected gently.

            Gendry nodded, getting swept into a fierce hug by Catelyn, who clutched at him as she softly cried. He rubbed at her back, ignoring way she sniffled harshly when she pulled back. One by one, the Stark family congratulated him, pulling him in to tight hugs, whispering words of thanks and love in his ear.

            “You’re a good man, Waters.” Robb told him, his hold firm as he clapped him on the back. “If it had to be anyone, I’m glad it was you.”

            “If you hurt her, though, I will kill you.” Jon said, shoving Robb out of the way.

            “I don’t think you need to worry about that, mate,” Gendry laughed. “She’ll get to me first.”

            The three of them laughed, Robb snorting, “Well, you got us there.”

            He felt like he was walking on cloud nine when Jon finally released him, Arya hovering behind him. She was holding the ring box in her hands and she held it out to him, her hands shaking slightly. She raised her eyebrows at him. “Aren’t you supposed to do this?”

            He took the box from her and opened it, taking the ring out and setting the box on the table. He took her hand in his and teasingly said, “Milady,” as he slid the ring onto her fourth finger. She let out a huge breath as she looked down at it, watching the way it glimmered in the light of the setting sun.

            “To Gendry and Arya!” Jon called, clapping loudly. The family burst into cheers again, whooping and hollering. Gendry’s cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so widely. Arya’s face was pink, with pure, unadulterated happiness brimming in her eyes as she stared up at him, her heart on her sleeve.

            Gendry was twenty-three years old when he kissed his fiancé for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to finally have this up!
> 
> I had a ton of fun writing this story, though it almost killed me because I basically wrote 32,000 words in two days and I think my fingers are broken now. 
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> What was your favorite part? Which interaction did you like the best? Should I make this a series? Did you love it? Hate it? Please feel free to let me know! I love seeing the comments!
> 
> If you want to talk more about Game of Thrones or Arya/Gendry, you can find me on tumblr (alliekitaguchi.tumblr.com/ask) and on twitter @allie_kitaguchi!
> 
> Again, I really hope you guys enjoyed it because I LOVED writing this! It was my first time writing AU for Game of Thrones and I had a blast!
> 
>  **UPDATE AS OF JULY 23, 2019:** Arya’s POV is finished and up!
> 
> \- A


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